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Whole orange poppy seed tea cake with citrus glaze and three cut slices on a white plate, wooden surface

Orange Poppy Seed Tea Cake

A one-bowl orange poppy seed loaf cake with a citrus glaze, baked in 45 minutes and good for days.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 268
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 190 g all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 120 g sour cream full-fat, room temperature
  • 115 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange zest from about 2 medium oranges
  • 60 ml fresh orange juice from the same oranges
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Orange Glaze
  • 100 g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange juice add more to thin if needed
  • 0.5 tsp orange zest optional, for extra fragrance

Method
 

Prepare
  1. Heat the oven to 175 C / 350 F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Zest and juice the oranges. Set aside 60 ml juice for the batter and 2 tbsp for the glaze.
Make the Batter
  1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds in a large bowl until combined.
  2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, sour cream, melted butter, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined - stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour streaks. Do not overmix.
Bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
  2. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  3. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack.
Glaze
  1. Whisk the sifted powdered sugar with 2 tbsp orange juice and the optional zest until smooth and thick but pourable. Add juice a teaspoon at a time if needed to reach that consistency.
  2. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze slowly over the top and let it drip down the sides. Allow to set for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For the most orange flavor, rub the zest directly into the sugar with your fingertips before adding the other wet ingredients - it releases the oils and makes a noticeable difference.