Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake

 
On New Year’s Eve a number of years ago, my family and I bought tickets to see an afternoon showing of Cirque du Soleil in San Francisco. Since they perform in a humongous tent and the city’s weather tends towards chilly and overcast throughout the entire year, we bundled up in our warmest jackets and gloves before driving to the performance.  

When we pulled into the parking lot, the sun shone down without a cloud in the sky (truly a rare occasion!), so we wandered around the grassy baseball-themed park next to the pier before lining up behind the rest of the ticket holders.
 

 
Once inside the tent, we found our seats on the left side of the stage and sank into them, staring at the ropes and wires and pillars in the center of the arena. A few performers in their brightly colored, funny-looking costumes walked around the stage, checking equipment and moving props, before the lights fully dimmed and the musical narration began.

For nearly an hour, we gasped, clapped, and cheered as the troupe members performed their acts. Some bounced and somersaulted on a gigantic trampoline suspended 15 feet in the air, others treated bicycles hanging from the ceiling as a trapeze and twirled about, and a few contorted their bodies into gymnastic feats that none of us believed was humanly possible. And then there was an entire second half after the intermission!
 

 
Although experiencing Cirque du Soleil was an incredibly fun way to celebrate, we’re planning on a more low-key New Year’s Eve this year, spend with family and friends watching the festivities and ball drop in New York’s Times Square on TV. And because it’s me, you can basically guarantee that I’ll bake plenty of desserts for us to enjoy that evening, including this Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake!

This easy cake is bursting with bright citrus flavor, but it isn’t overly sugary. Its sweetness level is closer to that of a snack or breakfast cake — so yes, you could easily enjoy a slice in the morning on New Year’s Day without worrying about breaking any New Year’s Resolutions!
 

HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY ORANGE POPPY SEED CAKE

Let’s talk about how to make the best orange poppy seed cake! This recipe begins with whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is ground more finely that regular whole wheat flour and has a texture closer to that of all-purpose, so it’s perfect for creating the tender texture of cakes and pastries. It’s also lighter in taste compared to regular whole wheat flour — and with so much sunshiny orange flavor, nobody can tell this cake is 100% whole wheat!

Note: My recommend gluten free flour blend is included in the Notes section beneath the recipe, if you’d like to make your orange poppy seed cake gluten free instead!
 

 
Because this healthier cake only contains 1 tablespoon of butter and no egg yolks, the majority of its tender texture comes from my favorite ingredient in healthier baking… Greek yogurt! Greek yogurt provides the same moisture to the cake batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it adds a little protein boost as well.

Instead of refined sugar, you’ll sweeten this cake with honey to keep it clean eating friendly. Agave would be a great substitute. Pure maple syrup would also produce the same cake texture, but it has a stronger, fairly iconic taste that can sometimes detract from the orange flavor… And that bright citrus taste should be the star of the show!
 

 
To add as much sunshiny flavor as possible, you’ll use both orange juice and orange zest in the batter. The latter actually provides a more concentrated citrus taste, so don’t skip it! I bought the biggest orange I could find it the store (I could barely hold it in one hand!), just for that reason.

And finally, the poppy seeds. They aren’t just for lemon muffins! 😉 In addition to making the cake look pretty, they add an itty bitty textural contrast that makes this dessert so irresistible. However, do not try to substitute chia seeds because those are much more absorbent than poppy seeds and would dry out the cake.
 

 
To bake the cake, I highly recommend a springform pan. They’re most commonly used for baking cheesecakes because of their removable rim, and that same feature makes serving this cake much easier! If you only own regular cake pans, then line one with foil before misting the inside with cooking spray for easier removal of the cake after baking.
 

 
The drizzle is optional, but it makes the cake look more sophisticated, don’t you think? If serving the cake for dessert (or even breakfast!), you’ll probably want to include it… Or maybe a dollop of whipped cream… Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream… Or even cream cheese frosting! I have a little left over from baking these cupcakes, so excuse me while I go try that…
 

 
Best decision ever. But then again, you can never go wrong with a slice of cake! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy orange poppy seed cake!

Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 1 cake, 10 slices

This tender cake is bursting with bright sunshiny flavor! It’s a wonderful dessert to serve to company, and it’s basically healthy enough for breakfast too. Leftovers will keep for at least four days if stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

5 from 7 votes

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Ingredients 

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups (240g) whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 3 tbsp (8g) orange zest (about 1 extra large orange – and see Notes!)
• 1 ½ tbsp (13g) poppy seeds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup (80g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ⅓ cup (80mL) honey
• ¼ cup (60mL) freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk

FOR THE DRIZZLE (OPTIONAL)

• 10 tsp confectioners’ style erythritol
• 2 tsp nonfat milk

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, line a standard 9”-round cake pan with foil, and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, orange zest, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the honey and orange juice. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.)
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 21-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center feels firm to the touch. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Just before serving, prepare the drizzle by stirring together the erythritol and milk in a small bowl. Transfer the glaze to a zip-topped bag, cut off a tiny corner, and drizzle on top of the individual slices of cake.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That's the one I own!) Too much flour will make your cake dry, rather than moist and tender.

 

Do not use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients with amounts given in mL (ie orange juice, honey, or milk). Use measuring cups instead.

 

IMPORTANT SPRINGFORM PAN NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I prefer using a 9"-round springform pan because (a) its sides are removable, so you don't have to invert the pan to get the cake out, and (b) it has taller sides, which can help your cake rise more evenly.

 

If you do not have a springform pan, use a regular 9”-round cake pan instead, and line the inside with foil before coating with cooking spray. After letting the cake cool for 10 minutes, carefully lift the cake out of the pan by holding onto the foil, and transfer it to a wire rack to let it cool completely.

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: As written, this cake isn’t very sweet — closer to that of a snack or breakfast-style cake. For a sweeter dessert, serve with additional drizzle or vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, substitute additional honey for an equal amount of milk (ie use ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons of honey, and reduce the milk to 2 tablespoons).

 

IMPORTANT ORANGE NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For the best flavor, use oranges that are pure orange with no green spots. Measure the orange juice with measuring cups, and measure the zest with a kitchen scale or measuring spoons. Do not measure by "1 very large" orange. Not all "very large" oranges are the exact same size!

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, regular whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. If using regular whole wheat flour, the cake will have a slightly denser texture.

 

POPPY SEEDS NOTES: If you're not a fan of poppy seeds, you can easily omit them! Do not substitute chia seeds for the poppy seeds. Chia seeds are much more absorbent and would dry out the cake.

 

HONEY ALTERNATIVES: Agave may be substituted in place of the honey. Alternatively, ⅓ cup (71g) brown sugar plus an additional 3 tablespoons (45mL) of milk may be substituted instead. Pure maple syrup will produce the same cake texture, but its flavor can sometimes overwhelm the bright citrus taste.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.

 

ERYTHRITOL ALTERNATIVE: Regular powdered sugar (confectioners' style sugar) may be substituted for the confectioners’ style erythritol. If using regular powdered sugar, start with ½ teaspoon of milk because it's less absorbent than erythritol.

 

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour blend, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Other store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should also work, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Leftover cake will keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator.

 

{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Orange Bundt Cake
♡  Simple Raspberry Lemon Cake
♡  Simple Cinnamon Apple Cake
♡  Simple Strawberry Lemon Cake
♡  Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
♡  Classic Carrot Cake
♡  Orange Poppy Seed Scones
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy cake recipes!