Orange Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

I was walking through store other day and I saw this small bag of poppy seeds on shelf. Usually I don’t pay much attention on poppy seeds until winter, because I relate that aromatic ingredient with making cakes for Christmas, but in that moment I was overwhelmed with thought of strong poppy seed flavor in my mouth, and I just had to buy it and make some cake with it.

While I was driving home I thought about recipes and what I could make. Only thing that was coming to my mind was poppy seed roll but it was to complicated to make. And than I remembered one cake my grandma use to make, a simple loaf cake packed with sugar, butter and off course poppy seeds. So I decided to remake that simple cake but instead of using butter and tons of sugar I will use healthier alternatives.

When people doing loaf cakes they usually make it with lemon and lemon zest. To give my cake more fragrant and a bit of bitter taste I decide to use orange and lime zest instead of lemon. The oils in the orange and lime peel really elevated a cake’s flavor. Traditional loaf cake recipes also require fats like butter and heavy cream to keep cake tender. I used coconut oil as a healthy alternative for fats. Coconut oil gave my cake a more tropical flavor. I also used greek yogurt which gave cake additional moisture but without the excess calories.

I really wanted that poppy-orange aroma to stand out, so I added only 3 tablespoon of agave syrup. If you like your cake to be sweeter, you can add more agave syrup or honey. Ok, I may have gone too far with poppy seeds, I added 8 tablespoons, but I really wanted to feel that intoxicating poppy aroma. Off course you reduce the amount of poppy seeds according to your taste.

Loaf cakes are really simple and easy to make, with only few ingredients and without fancy electric equipment. You can mix all ingredients in a big bowl with a spoon. But believe me, it was pure torture to wait for cake to be baked while warm orange aroma was flying throughout my kitchen. For next 20 minutes, while cake was in oven, me and my husband waited impatiently to enjoy in wonderful flavors of my zesty orange cake.

In my opinion, maybe the best part of this zesty orange cake is that it keeps well for few days, and is actually better once it has sat for a day or two, so it really goes well with cup of tea or coffee in mornings or in afternoons for snack. I hope you’ll enjoy my recipe…

4 from 3 votes

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Orange poppy seeds loaf cake

This delicious loaf cake is perfect for sunny summer days. Strong poppy seeds aroma breaks trough orange flavor and intoxicate with its sweetnes. You can serve this delicious cake with cup of tea or coffee, or you can have it for breakfast or snack.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 164 kcal

Author Natalie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 medium orange zest
• 1/2 lime zest
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice from half medium orange
• 3 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking pan with a parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds and orange and lime zest.
3. Put coconut oil in mixture and grind it with fingers until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
4. Stir in greek yogurt, agave syrup, orange juice and vanilla extract.
5. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden.
7. Cool before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Orange poppy seeds loaf cake

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 164 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4g 6%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 124mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 29g 10%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 15g

Protein 4g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.