Sourdough Orange Poppy Seed Cake

A light snacking cake bursting with orange flavor, enhanced by sourdough and poppy seeds.

When the oranges on my backyard tree are plump, fragrant, and nearly neon, I know they are going to delicious. And while they are a treat on their own (or sprinkled with Tajin as my husband sometimes likes to do), the sheer abundance affords the opportunity to bake with some too. This year I’ve particularly enjoyed making this sourdough orange poppy seed cake. Perfect for snacking—or even breakfast—it is not too dense or too sweet. Rubbing the sugar and orange zest together ensures plenty of citrusy flavor, and the juice of the orange is included in the batter too. Sourdough discard adds depth flavor, and poppy seeds impart a delightfully nutty mini-crunch. The optional icing is made with Grand Marnier for an extra hit of orange flavor. Finish it off with a bit more zest and you are ready to enjoy this citrusy splendor.

For more cool weather fruit-based cakes, check out my Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Upside-Down Cake and this Kiwi, Lime, and Coconut Snack Cake. Check out my entire collection of sourdough discard recipes here.

For more information on how and when to harvest oranges, check out this article from Gardening Know How.

Sourdough Orange Poppy Seed Cake

This snackable loaf cake is bursting with fresh orange and nutty poppy seeds, but the flavor is also well-balanced and not too sweet thanks to a sourdough addition. The Grand Marnier icing is optional, but highly recommended.

Servings 1 loaf cake

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

Cake

• 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 medium navel orange
• 56 grams (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled plus more for pan
• 55 grams (¼ cup) vegetable or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 125 grams (½ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
• 178 grams (1¼) cups all purpose flour
• 6 grams (1½ tsp) baking powder
• 3 grams (½ tsp) baking soda
• 3 grams (½ tsp) salt
• 18 grams 2 tbsp poppyseeds

Icing (optional)

• 113 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
• 15-30 grams (1-2 tbsp) Grand Marnier, triple sec, or orange juice
• Orange zest for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter an 8½-inch loaf pan, or grease with nonstick spray.
• Place sugar in a large bowl mix or bowl of a stand mixer. Zest entire orange into the bowl. Rub together the sugar and zest with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant.
• Juice orange and measure out 60 grams (¼ cup). Set aside.
• Add butter and oil to sugar and mix together until thoroughly combined.
• Add eggs and mix until combined.
• Add sourdough starter and mix together until combined.
• Add orange juice and mix until combined.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture and mix until just combined. Add poppy seeds and fold into batter. Scrape down side of the bowl to ensure batter is evenly mixed.
• Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a long toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and internal temperature is 210°. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
• If icing, wait until cake is entirely cooled, at least one hour. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar with 15 grams Grand Marnier. Mix together. Add more Grand Marnier by the teaspoon until icing is smooth and spreadable. Spread on the top of cake. Top with orange zest.

Author: Ryne J. Macht, RDN

Course: Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy baking, easy cake, loaf cake, orange cake, snack cake, sourdough cake, sourdough discard, sourdough discard cake