RECIPETIN EATS: 'My perfect orange and poppyseed loaf cake.'

I've always wanted a really good orange poppy seed cake recipe. One with a moist, tender crumb with lovely orange flavour but not so strong that you can't taste the nutty flavour of the poppy seeds.

I was going to make it in a round cake form (and you absolutely can) but, because I already have a few round cakes in this chapter, I went for a loaf form. You can even make cupcakes!

Whatever shape you bake this in, don't skip the cream cheese frosting. The slight tang is the perfect match for this cake, and it couldn't be simpler to make: just mix it up with a wooden spoon. No electric beater required.

Serves: 8–10

Prep: 15 minutes + cooling

Cook: 50 minutes

Watch: RecipeTin Eats shares her churros recipe. Post continues after video.

Ingredients:

Orange and poppyseed loaf cake

• 2 cups (300 g) plain flour 21⁄2 tsp baking powder*

• 1 1⁄8 tsp cooking salt*

• 2 tbsp poppy seeds

• 21⁄2 tbsp orange zest (3–4 large oranges)

• 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice (at room temperature), squeezed from the oranges

• 3⁄4 cup (185 ml) canola oil

• 3 large eggs*, at room temperature

• 1 cup (200 g) caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream cheese frosting

• 100 g spreadable cream cheese2 (tub type, not block)

• 11⁄2 cups (190 g) soft icing sugar*, sifted

• 1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp orange zest, plus extra for garnish, if desired

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 24 x 13.8 x 7.1 cm loaf tin3 with oil or butter, then line with baking paper.

Batter – Put the flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Place the orange zest, juice, oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla in a separate medium bowl. Whisk well to thoroughly combine. Pour the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Whisk until lump-free, but don't whisk for longer than 10 seconds (overmixing can make the cake tough).

Bake – Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.4

Cool – Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting – Place all the frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Spread the frosting over the top of the poppy seed loaf cake. Grate over extra orange zest, if desired.

Serve – Cut into thick slices to serve. Make yourself a cup of tea, grab a slice and devour!

Notes:

• Dead baking powder is a common baking fail – expiry dates on jars are misleading!

• Spreadable cream cheese is sold in tubs and is softer than block cream cheese because it is designed for spreading. Perfect to make quick creamy frostings!

• The measurement of the base of the tin is 22 x 12 x 7.1 cm (it's smaller because the sides slope slightly). Larger loaf tins can also be used but the loaf will not be as high and will bake faster. The cake can also be baked in a 20 cm round cake tin (oven time 30 minutes) or in a muffin tin to make 10 cupcakes (22 minutes).

• If the loaf gets too brown before it finishes baking, cover loosely with foil.

LEFTOVERS: Keeps for 4 days in the pantry in cooler weather, or 5 days in the fridge in warmer weather. Freezer for 3 months. Always serve at room temperature!

RecipeTin Eats: Tonight by Nagi Maehashi, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP: $49.99, photography by Nagi Maehashi.

RecipeTin Eats: Tonight by Nagi Maehashi, published by Macmillan Australia. Image: Supplied.

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Feature image: Supplied.