Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Citrus season wouldn't be complete without homemade blood orange poppy seed cake. Beautifully tender and moist cake is finished with blood orange glaze for a wonderful sweet treat.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: We're using all-purpose flour for the cake, which has a lower protein content than bread flour, making it ideal for cakes.
• Baking powder: To help the cake rise, use baking powder and baking soda in the cake mixture. We're using both leaveners to balance the acidity from the blood orange juice and Greek yogurt. This ensures a well-leavened and properly risen cake.
• Poppy seeds: The small seeds add a lovely crunch and added texture to the cake; however, you can omit them if necessary. The taste of blood oranges is a unique combination of sweet and tart, often with berry-like undertones. They are less acidic than regular oranges and have a more complex flavor profile.
• Blood orange: A type of orange with a distinctive crimson or deep red flesh.
• Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt contributes to the cake's moisture and texture. You can use plain yogurt as an alternative, but Greek yogurt is recommended for optimal results because of its thick consistency.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare the sugar

Blood oranges are my favorite oranges for two reasons, their flavor and their appearance. Slice a blood orange and you just have to stop and take a picture - the colors are absolutely beautiful. Not only do they look amazing, but these oranges have a pleasantly sweet and tart flavor making them a great dessert fruit. We're going to use every part of the fruit including the juice and zest to make the ultimate blood orange poppy seed cake.

Grate the blood oranges and rub them with sugar to release the oils in the zest. I have to say, this is my favorite part of the recipe. Just give the sugar a whiff and you'll see what I mean. I would take a bath in this blood orange sugar if I could (not a bad spa idea, no?).

Step 2: Make cake batter

The technique for making this blood orange poppy seed cake is pretty standard. Cream together the blood orange sugar with softened butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Then, add the eggs followed by the wet ingredients.

Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. You don't have to overmix the cake or it can overact the gluten and result in a tough cake.

Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 3: Bake and finish with glaze

Meanwhile, while the cake cools, make the blood orange glaze. You'll be using about 3-4 medium oranges for this recipe so make sure to save some juice for the glaze. Just whisk together sifted powdered sugar with enough blood orange juice to make a glaze. You don't want it to be too runny, just thick enough to slowly trickle off the sides of the cake.

Go ahead and cut yourself a thick slice of the cake, you deserve it. I licked my plate clean, including every crumb and drop of icing. This cake is just all-around lovely with a generous amount of poppy seeds, just the way I like it. With just a hint of citrus and a touch of sweetness from the glaze, it hits the spot for an afternoon delight.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can bake the cake earlier in the day and glaze it once cooled, right before serving.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

More blood orange recipes

Looking for more dishes featuring blood oranges? Try these:

Recipe

Print Recipe

Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake

1 loaf pan

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake

Servings: 12 slices

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Orange poppy seed cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds (18 grams)
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar (300 grams)
• 1 ½ tablespoons blood orange zest, about 3-4 oranges about 4-5 oranges
• ¾ cup butter, softened (170 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup blood orange juice (75 ml)
• ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, plain (90 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blood orange glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar (130 grams)
• 2-3 tablespoons blood orange juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan.
• Combine the dry ingredients including all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds.
• Combine sugar with orange zest. Rub the sugar with the orange zest to release the oils from the zest.
• Beat together the infused sugar with softened butter until creamed, light, and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the egg before adding the next. Add the blood orange juice and yogurt and mix until well combined.
• Stir in the dry ingredients just until mixed. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake the cake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Make the blood orange glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of blood orange juice, adding just enough juice to achieve the right consistency. Pour the glaze over the cake. Slice and serve.

Notes

If blood oranges aren't in season, you can use regular oranges instead.