Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 small oranges, cut into 5mm slices plus extra for 3 tsp finely grated orange zest
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 185g butter, at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted
- Ice cream, to serve
Method
-
1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line base and sides of a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
-
2. Combine poppy seeds and milk in a small bowl and leave to stand for 20 minutes.
-
3. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar and water over a medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
-
4. Add orange slices. Simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes, or until peel is soft. Using tongs, transfer the orange slices to a plate and leave to cool.
-
5. Add half of the orange juice to the remaining syrup. Bring to the boil, and boil uncovered for 10-12 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Strain syrup into a heatproof jug and set aside.
-
6. Arrange orange slices, overlapping slightly, into the base of the prepared tin.
-
7. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, zest and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until just combined. Stir in sifted flour, then the poppy seed mixture and remaining juice.
-
8. Spoon mixture over oranges in pan and smooth surface. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack set over a baking tray.
-
9. Brush warm cake with half the syrup. Serve with ice cream, and remaining syrup drizzled over top.
-
Helpful Tip
-
You can cut cake into serving sized portions and then freeze. Place frozen cake into a lunchbox. Then, by morning or afternoon tea time, it will be ready to eat.
-
PER SERVE
-
• Energy 1153Kj • Protein 4g • Total Fat 12g • Saturated Fat 7g • Carbohydrates 38g • Sugars 29g • Sodium 108mg
-
Dietary and nutritional info supplied by NZ Nutrition Foundation