Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Orange poppy seed pound cake is a refreshing citrus cake studded with poppy seeds. It’s dense, moist, and the perfect amount of sweet making it great alongside your cup of coffee or tea in the morning!

Why this recipe works

Bright citrusy oranges meet soft and fluffy pound cake. Today, we’re making orange poppy seed pound cake topped with an almond-orange glaze.

This delicious pound cake is lightly sweet, super moist, and ultra-satisfying. It’s great for taking along to potlucks or baking into individual mini loaves to hand out as gifts. This recipe makes 2 loaves, you can either cut the recipe in half for one loaf or freeze the other to enjoy later!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CAKE – We’re using all-purpose flour, but you can swap it out for whole wheat pastry flour. You will need egg yolks AND whole eggs. Be sure to grab large eggs as the size of the egg can alter the science behind your baking. One to two large oranges should be enough to give you the 4 teaspoons of zest you’ll need for the batter as well as the 2/3 cup of fresh orange juice for the glaze. Your best bet is to grab 1 additional orange than you think you might need just in case. Lastly, one thing to note is that you will end using almost an entire spice bottle of poppy seeds for this loaf.

How to Make Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans (or eight 5-3/4×3-inch mini loaf pans, each with a 2-cup capacity).
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk in the poppy seeds. Blend the sugar and zest with fingers.
3. Using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the whole eggs one at a time.
5. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla.
6. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and then beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth.
7. Spoon batter into the prepared pans, run a knife through to eliminate any air pockets. Bake about 50 minutes. (25 to 30 minutes for mini loaves). Rest on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes.
8. Strain the orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the sugar and continue to cook until the mixture thickens and is reduced to a scant 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the extracts. Remove the cake from the pan.
10. Brush the tops and sides of the cake with the glaze. Repeat brushing every few minutes until all the glaze has been used. Serve the cake at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Absolutely! To freeze, wrap the cooled pound cake in plastic wrap a few times, followed by aluminum foil or a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. I would suggest waiting to glaze the cake until you’re ready to enjoy it. Thaw overnight on the countertop.

To store, place the cake in an air-tight container kept at room temperature for 3-4 days.

Serving Suggestions

A slice of orange poppy seed pound cake makes a tasty breakfast on the go or can be served alongside a cup of coffee or tea and even eaten as a dessert. Make a loaf for tea parties, church gatherings, book club, bake sales, or potlucks. Everyone will be asking for this recipe! Serve this pound cake at room temperature as is or with some yogurt and berries on the side.

More Cake and Loaf Recipes

• Peach Bread
• Banana Bread
• Starbucks Lemon Loaf
• Raspberry Coffee Cake
• Whipping Cream Pound Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread
• Pineapple Pound Cake

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Adapted from Fine Cooking 61, pp. 47. December 1, 2004. This recipe originally appeared here on Mar 26, 2009 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.