This is a pretty beautiful and stunning cake with a really “grown up” flavor because of the subtle orange notes that match well with the mascarpone frosting. This cake isn’t difficult to make but it is important to make sure that you have your oranges zested and juice before you start the cake so that you can add the ingredients at once for the best lift and texture.
Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Preheat the oven to 175°C and prepare two cake tins by lining them with parchment (or greasing and flouring well if you prefer).
Make the cake: Cream together room temperature butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy then add vanilla, and eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
Add to the creamed mixture the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, milk, orange juice, and salt and mix well until all of the ingredients form a batter.
Bake for 25-30 mins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: Beat butter until smooth then slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and mascarpone cheese until just combined.
Assemble cake as desired.
Adapted from Liv for Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 175°C and prepare two cake tins by lining them with parchment (or greasing and flouring well if you prefer).
Make the cake: Cream together room temperature butter, sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy then add vanilla, and eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated.
Add to the creamed mixture the flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, milk, orange juice, and salt and mix well until all of the ingredients form a batter.
Bake for 25-30 mins until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: Beat butter until smooth then slowly add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and mascarpone cheese until just combined.
Assemble cake as desired.