Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

This orange poppy seed bundt cake takes a simple vanilla oil cake (without butter) and uses sour cream to give it that rich, moist texture. The sugar gets blended together with orange peels to provide maximum citrus orange flavor.

After baking, the cake is brushed with an orange syrup that soaks into the warm cake. Once cool, top it with a quick glaze packed with orange zest! This orange poppy seed cake is SO flavorful (without being overly sweet) and stays moist for days.

The recipe can be made as either a Bundt Cake or an orange poppy seed loaf cake. See the recipe card for instructions on how to make both. You're going to love how soft and perfect this is!

If you're looking for a variation of this cake, you can also try my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Or, if you'd like more bundt cakes, opt for the Lemon Ricotta Cake with Blueberry Glaze or Raspberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake!

• Dry Ingredients. All-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Oranges. Zest & juice! You'll need about four to five large oranges for this recipe.
• Granulated sugar. The first step of the recipe will require the blending of granulated sugar with orange peels to provide maximum orange flavor.
• Wet Ingredients. Eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, sour cream. Use all of these at room temperature!
• Poppy Seeds. Be sure they're fresh - poppy seeds can turn rather quickly.
• Powdered sugar. This is needed for the final glaze.

Note that a microplane and peeler will be needed for this recipe. It's also best if you have a food processor or blender to combine the orange peels and sugar, but is not required.

This really is the best orange poppy seed cake...let's make it!

STEP 1: Peel an orange using a peeler (just removing the orange part) and add to a food processor or blender with the sugar. Pulse until all of the peels break down and incorporate into the sugar.

STEP 2: Whisk together the dry ingredients. Transfer the sugar to a stand mixer and mix together the eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined.

STEP 3: Add in half of the dry ingredients, the sour cream, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing in between each addition.

STEP 4: Add the poppy seeds and orange juice last and mix until just incorporated.

STEP 5: Pour the batter into a greased and floured bundt or loaf pan and bake. While baking, heat orange juice and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and cool.

STEP 6: Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out the bundt cake onto a platter and brush the orange syrup all over. Cool completely.

STEP 7: Once cool, mix together powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice until a pourable glaze forms. Cover the top of the cake, then enjoy!

Store the orange poppy seed cake covered at room temperature for three days.

The cake can also be frozen by wrapping the entire cake (or individual slices) in plastic wrap and foil. Unwrap completely, then thaw at room temperature. If freezing, wait to add the glaze until it's thawed and you plan to eat it (rather than freezing with the glaze on it).

• Make the cake in a loaf pan rather than a bundt pan. See recipe card for instructions.
• Use sour cream, greek yogurt, or buttermilk (all full fat) interchangeably in this recipe.
• Try using blood oranges for a fun color variation, especially in the glaze!
• Cover the cake in chocolate ganache for a chocolate orange cake variation. Use my vanilla Swiss roll with chocolate ganache recipe for this glaze variation.
• Use half lemon, and half orange in the recipe for a sharper citrus flavor

• Use room temperature ingredients (egg and sour cream) for an ultra-smooth batter.
• Use a food processor or blender to combine the sugar and orange peels. If not available, zest the oranges and rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until it turns orange.
• Be sure to alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream, ending with the dry.
• After it comes out of the oven, make sure the loaf is not resting in an overly cold area. Drastically changing temperatures can cause the loaf to fall.

• Vanilla Swiss roll Cake
• Coconut Almond Loaf Cake
• Pear Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
• Chocolate Snack Cake (with Salted Caramel Frosting)
• Lemon Ricotta Cake with Blueberry Glaze
• Raspberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake

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