If I was English and adhered to a tea time tradition, this is exactly the kind of cake I would like to eat at tea time every single day. As an all-too-typical American, pausing in the middle of the afternoon for tea and cake is beyond my over scheduled work-focused capacity. Sigh. We are who we are.
But if cake has the power to change that attitude, this syrup drenched, mascarpone and cream covered orange poppy seed cake might do it.
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"I love that this combines orange and poppyseed instead of the usual lemon and it is interesting and delicious! The cake is so moist and I love the texture from the poppyseeds. A winner!" - Adrienne
This is the kind of cake that stretches the boundaries of just how moist a cake can be. Just like this orange drizzle cake and this elderflower lemon cake, this cake includes actual fruit - a couple of whole oranges are mixed right into the batter along with the poppy seeds.
Including whole fruit in the batter allowed me to use less sugar because the fruit is helping to do sugar's job: it adds flavor, locks in moisture, and creates a soft and tender texture. Less sugar means the cake is not overly sweet so you can drench it in citrus syrup (so YUM) with abandon and no concern for it becoming cloying.
And, of course, you can frost this cake with whatever buttercream you like, or serve it naked, adorned with nothing but that glistening citrus glaze. But I do hope you try it with the mascarpone frosting because its light, creamy, not-too-sweet consistency really is the perfect complement to the syrup drenched cake.
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A few ingredient notes
This cake includes a mix of butter and virgin coconut oil. The combo gave these raspberry cupcakes an exceptionally light and tender texture and I suspected it would also work well in this recipe. After testing the recipe with various amounts of different fats, my initial instinct was correct: the combo of butter and virgin coconut oil created the best flavor and softest texture.
The coconut oil magnifies the citrus flavor in this cake and creates a softer texture that stays moist for longer than using butter alone. BUT, it's very important to use virgin coconut oil.
Refined coconut oil has a completely neutral scent and flavor. In this recipe, the mild scent and flavor that virgin coconut oil adds to the batter boosts the citrus flavor of the cake.
Virgin coconut oil is solid at room temperature. To measure it, pack it into a measuring cup with the back of a spoon.
What kind of oranges are best in this cake?
Use any kind of oranges you like in this cake. I used navel oranges for the cake in these photos, but cara cara oranges, blood oranges, tangelos, and mandarine oranges also work great.
What is lemon oil?
I included a bit of lemon extract or lemon oil in both the cake batter and the citrus syrup because I really wanted a strong citrus flavor and wasn't getting that from oranges alone.
Lemon oil is a great addition to your pantry, but be aware that there are two very different, kinds of lemon oil.
One is olive oil that's been infused with lemon either by including lemon with the olives when they are cold pressed, or by gently heating olive oil with lemon peel to infuse it with lemon flavor. This kind of lemon oil is fantastic in salad dressing, pasta dishes, or simply drizzled over grilled meat or veggies. But, it's not the kind of lemon oil you want to use in baking.
The kind of lemon oil you want to use in baking is a very strong essence of lemon made by cold pressing lemon rinds. Lemon oil is super concentrated. The brand I like is Boyajian Pure Lemon Oil, which uses 225 lemons in every 3.4 ounce bottle.
If you purchase some lemon oil, use it in anything that calls for lemon extract. I especially like to use it to make this lemon olive oil loaf cake and these super creamy lemon bars.
Additions and substitutions
- Instead of oranges: Use any kind of citrus fruit you like in this cake. Grapefruit, lemons, or limes are all delicious options.
- Make it gluten free: Measure-for-measure gluten free flour mix can be used in place of the cake flour in this recipe. The two brands I like the most are Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour.
- Mascarpone frosting was made for this cake but also, if you love a chocolate and orange situation as much as I do, try it with milk chocolate buttercream or chocolate orange buttercream. If you're a white chocolate fan, try it with white chocolate ganache buttercream. So good.
- If you'd like to substitute something else for poppy seeds, black sesame seeds are delicious in this cake. The give it a subtle nutty flavor that's just lovely.
- The citrus syrup for this cake is made from the leftover syrup used to make these simple candied oranges. But, if you don't want to make candied orange slices, make a glaze with 1 cup of orange marmalade and 2-3 tablespoons orange juice.
Mix and match: More frosting options for this cake
This cake is the perfect match for mascarpone frosting, but here are four other delicious frosting recipes that pair beautifully with this cake:
Step #1: Make some candied orange slices
The first step in making this cake is to make a few candied citrus slices. The process is super easy and involves little more than slicing up an orange and letting the slices simmer in sugar water.
The main advantage to making candied citrus slices is that you get two for the price of one:
- You'll have some pretty and delicious candied citrus slices with which to decorate your cake.
- AND you'll have a delicious citrus syrup to brush over the cake right after it bakes. The syrup soaks into the cake drenching it in sweet orange flavor.
Since you only need a few citrus slices to decorate the cake and only about a cup of citrus syrup, you can cut the recipe in half if you like. Or, make the full amount and save the candied citrus slices and citrus simple syrup for another day. Regardless, do this the day before you want to bake this cake because the candied citrus slices need time to dry.
Step #2: How to prep the oranges for the cake batter
This cake includes whole oranges, not just the juice and zest. To prepare the fruit, first use a zester to zest the oranges. You want at least 2 tablespoons of orange zest.
Then, use a sharp knife to cut the ends off the orange so you can set it on your cutting board on a flat surface without it rolling around.
Cut the peel, including the white part (the pith) from the fruit.
Then use your knife to cut the orange segments from the membranes that contain them.
The membranes are the skin around each orange segment. For the best consistency, it's best to leave these out of the cake batter.
Place the fruit in a bowl, breaking it into small pieces. Try and contain the juice on your cutting board and pour that into the bowl. You want a total of ¾ cup fruit and juice (175 grams).
Step #3: Prepare the batter and bake the cake
Add the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and zest to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very light and aerated, about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating well to fully incorporate one egg into the butter and sugar mixture before adding another one. Stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to another bowl and use a wire whisk to mix. Add this mixture to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix on low just until the flour is barely incorporated.
Stir some vanilla extract and lemon extract or lemon oil into the buttermilk and add this to the batter. Mix on low speed just until it's barely incorporated.
Use a spoon to stir the orange pieces and poppy seeds into the batter.
Spread the batter into a cake pan that's been prepared so the cake will not stick and place in a preheated oven to bake.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then gently flip it out onto a baking rack, then flip it again so it's right side up. If the top of the cake is not level, use a serrated knife to trim the top of the cake so it is flat. (This gives you some crumbs to snack on which is the reward for being the baker.)
Mix some of the orange syrup from the candied oranges with some orange marmalade and brush that over the entire surface of the cake. As the cake cools, the syrup will soak into the cake, adding flavor and moisture to the entire cake.
Frost the cake with a generous layer of mascarpone frosting, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and decorate with candied orange slices.
Serve. Eat. Enjoy every delicious bite.
Can you see how that orange syrup has soaked down into the cake??? So good.
More recipes for citrus lovers
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to leave a comment and rate this recipe. Happy Baking!
📖 Recipe
Orange Poppy Seed Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
This is the kind of cake that stretches the boundaries of just how moist a cake can be. The cake itself includes actual fruit - a couple of whole oranges are mixed right into the batter along with the poppy seeds.
Ingredients
- Candied orange slices and 1 cup of the citrus simple syrup left over from making candied orange slices (See below for substitutions)
- 2-3 oranges so that you have ¾ cup (175 grams) fruit and juice
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons, 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (60 grams) virgin coconut oil (to measure, use a spoon to pack it into a measuring cup)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cup (210 grams) cake flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, OR ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ cup (57 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract or 1 teaspoon lemon oil (more to taste), divided
- ¼ cup poppy seeds + more for sprinkling over the frosted cake
- 1 cup orange syrup (from making candied orange slices)
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- ½ recipe Mascarpone frosting
Instructions
- Prep an 8-inch by 3-inch round cake pan: Coat the inside of the pan with vegetable shortening or butter, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, grease the top of the parchment paper with shortening or butter, then shake some flour around inside the pan so the bottom and sides are coated. Here are more detailed instructions on preparing a cake pan so the cake will not stick.
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C).
- Zest the oranges with a citrus zester. Cut the peel from the oranges, including the white pith. Use a sharp knife to cut the orange slices from the membranes then chop the segments into small pieces until you have have ¾ cup of fruit and juice. Add the fruit and juice to a small bowl and set aside. (See photos above for step-by-step instructions for preparing the oranges.)
- Add the butter, coconut oil, sugar, and zest to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very light and aerated, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, beating well to fully incorporate one egg into the butter and sugar mixture before adding another one. Stop every once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to another bowl and use a wire whisk to mix. Add this mixture to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture and mix on low just until the flour is barely incorporated.
- Stir 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon lemon extract or ½ teaspoon lemon oil into the buttermilk and add this to the batter. Mix on low speed just until barely incorporated.
- Add the orange pieces and juice, and the poppy seeds to the batter. Use a spoon to gently fold the fruit and seeds into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing out the top of the batter into a flat, even layer. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes. When done, the cake will be pulling away from the side of the pan. If you poke a toothpick into the center of the cake and remove it, you might see cake crumbs clinging to it but there will be no signs of raw batter.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes while you mix the orange syrup: Mix 1 teaspoon lemon extract or ½ teaspoon lemon oil and 3 tablespoons of orange marmalade into 1 cup of the orange syrup reserved from making candied orange slices. Taste the syrup and add more lemon extract or lemon oil if you like.
- Gently flip the cake out onto a baking rack then flip it again so it's right side up. If the top of the cake is not flat, use a serrated knife to trim the top of the cake so it's flat.
- Use a pastry brush or a spoon to coat the top and sides of the cake with the orange syrup. Leave the cake to cool.
- When the cake is completely cool, frost with a thick layer of mascarpone buttercream and sprinkle with more poppyseeds. Decorate with candied orange slices.
Notes
- If you don't want to make the candied orange slices, you can make an orange syrup by mixing 1 cup of orange marmalade with 2-3 tablespoons of orange juice.
- Lemon oil is more concentrated than lemon extract which is why you want to use less oil than extract.
- Use any kind of citrus fruit you like in this cake. Grapefruit, lemons, or limes are all delicious options.
- Measure-for-measure gluten free flour mix can be used in place of the cake flour in this recipe. The two brands I like the most are Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour.
- Mascarpone frosting was made for this cake but also, if you love a chocolate and orange situation as much as I do, try it with milk chocolate buttercream or chocolate orange buttercream. If you're a white chocolate fan, try it with white chocolate ganache buttercream. So good.
- If you'd like to substitute something else for poppy seeds, black sesame seeds are delicious in this cake. The give it a subtle nutty flavor that's just lovely.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ⅛ of the cake, frostedAmount Per Serving: Calories: 978Total Fat: 64gSaturated Fat: 41gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 234mgSodium: 685mgCarbohydrates: 94gFiber: 1gSugar: 68gProtein: 10g
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