Orange and poppy seed cake

If you don't know then lemon drizzle is one of my favourites and that can be said for any type of citrus based cake. I rarely use oranges when baking apart from in chocolate orange cakes and I just had a craving for an orange cake... It's not rare for me to have a cake craving and you just have to go with it. I'm glad I did because it led me to this beauty.

I used the same recipe I use for my lemon drizzle loaf but I just swapped the lemon for orange and added poppy seeds to the mix. I love how the poppy seeds add a earthiness to the cake and bring together two flavours that don't get used together often. My favourite part of the cake though is the drizzle. I use icing sugar for my drizzle as I love the clear crack it leaves on top and the crunch it adds.

Orange and Poppy seed Cake 
(Makes one large cake) 

200g Butter
250g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
250g Self Raising Flour
1/2 TSP Baking Powder
Zest of one large orange
Juice of one large orange
100ml Milk
2 TBSP Poppy seeds

Icing
150g Icing Sugar
Juice of half a large orange

Line and grease a 20cm round cake tin with grease proof paper.

Preheat the oven to 170℃, Gas Mark 4.

Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy.

Add in the eggs and 50g of the flour to avoid the mixture from curdling. Whisk together until well combined. Add in the remaining flour and baking powder and beat together until all the ingredients are well combined and smooth.

Add in the orange zest, juice, milk and poppy seeds. Whisk them together on a low speed until the poppy seeds are well distributed throughout the cake batter.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Place in the oven for around 45 - 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and that an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Once cooked take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin to cool for 20 minutes.

To make the icing, place the icing sugar and orange juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together until you reach a thick pouring consistency.

After 20 minutes place the cake on a cooling rack with a plate underneath. Pour the icing over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides.