Orange Poppy Seed Cake
This Orange Poppy Seed Cake is a dessert that’s guaranteed to impress at any celebration, potluck, or gathering. It's moist and easy bundt cake with a cake mix base and a handful of other simple ingredients. With no stand mixer required, this recipe is a sweet treat that never fails to please.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 1sixteenth
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 (15.25 ounce) orange cake mix (I used Duncan Hines orange supreme)
- 1 (3.4 ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
- Garnish: Fresh orange zest or curls (optional)
Glaze
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup orange juice (no pulp)
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 to 2 teaspoons orange juice (no pulp) or milk (any milk will do)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick spray or baking spray.
- Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl. Add the sour cream and whisk together. Add the orange juice and oil and whisk until smooth.
- Add the cake mix, instant pudding and poppy seeds. Stir quickly just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (There should be just a few crumbs on wooden pick but not wet.)
- Let the cake cool 5 minutes before turning the cake onto a cooling rack.
Orange Glaze
- While the cake is cooling in the pan 5 minutes, combine sugar and ⅓ cup orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil 4 minutes or until reduced to ⅔ cup and slightly thickened.
- After turning the cake onto a cooling rack, place wax paper or parchment paper under the cooling rack. Generously brush and drizzle the orange glaze over the cake. The paper will catch the drips of the glaze and icing. Let the cake cool completely.
Icing for Bundt Cake
- Combine the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange juice in a small bowl. Add additional orange juice, ½ teaspoon at a time, until the icing is your desired thickness. Spoon or drizzle the icing over the glazed cake.
- Let the icing set up before slicing.
- Store at room temperature or in the fridge.
Notes
Storage: Store the orange poppy seed cake at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the fridge covered for up to 5 days. If you are storing in the fridge, I like to be mindful and set it out for 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving to take the chill off.
Substitutions & Variations:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. Swap the orange cake mix and pudding mix for lemon, and the orange juice for lemon juice. It’s another citrus cake that will have your guests saying “delish!”.
- Orange Almond Poppy Seed Cake. Just add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the batter and a dash to the icing.
- If you’re not a poppy seed fan, you can leave them out. No worries, the cake will still be fabulous with each bite.
- Swap vanilla pudding for cheesecake pudding mix. For a bit of a richer flavor, using cheesecake pudding mix is a fun and different way to play up the flavors.
