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
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
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!
Wow, sounds like you loved the circus, I’m scared of them! This cake looks so delicious, orange cake is one of my favourites!
Thanks Eve! It was definitely an experience — but I held my breath for most of it! 😉
I have yet to experience this performance, but one day I will! I saw Cavalia one year which I think is from the same creators? The cake looks perfect for a night with family. Refreshing after one too many dinner rolls perhaps.
I really want to see Cavalia sometime too! The company has so many different shows that look amazing… Thank goodness we have plenty of years ahead of us! 😉
Amy, can i omit the poppy seeds? I just don’t have them right now and i’d really like to bake this cake!
Thanks 🙂
Yes! The cake will turn out just fine without the poppy seeds. I’m excited to hear what you think of it Ashley! 🙂
Thanks Amy! Everyone loved this cake on Easter! I’ll try asap the poppy seed version!
I’m so happy to hear that Ashley! 🙂 I hope you like the poppy seed version just as much!
My daughter would like to make this cake for her own birthday cake. She wants to use fondant to cover it and decorate. We are planning to make it 2 layers. My concern is that the cake might be too soft but fondant might be too heavy that the cake might be squished… What do you think?
I’m truly honored that your daughter wants to have this cake for her birthday — that means so much to me! I’m fairly certain that this cake will be fine when covered with fondant, but if you’re concerned, I’d actually recommend doubling the recipe and splitting that batter between 3 cake pans to make a 3-layer cake. That will ensure that the layers are thick enough for both frosting in between and fondant on top. 🙂 I’d absolutely love to see pictures of the cake if you end up using this recipe, and happy early birthday to your daughter Lemi!
Hi, Amy! Love your recipes! This one looks delicious! I was wondering, would it be possible to interchange the orange (zest and juice) for lemon? I have no oranges on hand but I do have lemons (and lemon poppy seed is my favorite thing ever!). Thank you! Keep up the awesome baking!
Thank you so much Olivia! I actually have two different simple lemon cakes very similar to this one: here and here. (I also have a lemon pound cake recipe here!) I’d recommend following either of those recipes and adding the same amount of poppy seeds from this recipe, rather than trying to modify this one too much. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake!
We got my mom a kitchen-aid mixer for Christmas, and it happened to arrive on the same day as her brand new oven. I knew we had to try out both appliances at once. Together we made this, as I had been fixated on baking with oranges for quite some time.
It exceeded our expectations. The ingredients are unique and fun, and the taste and texture was exceptional! This recipe is a keeper. Thanks, Amy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake Robyn! That means a lot to me that you picked my recipe to test out your mom’s new appliances. Thank you!! 🙂
Hello Amy, this is a loveley recipe that is perfect for kids. I tried it the other day and loved the taste but it didn’t rise much. I use just regular whole wheat flour but ither than that I made mo chanegs to the recipe. What could be wrong?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Maria, and I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor! Did your cake not rise as much as what’s in my photos? It won’t double in size, but it should rise to about 1 ½ times as tall as the cake batter is in the pan… How fresh are your baking powder and baking soda? We’ll get this sorted out! 🙂
Hey! I love your recipes! I was wondering if I can omit the Greek yogurt? Thanks!
Thank you so much for your kind words about my recipes Lucy! That means a lot to me. 🙂 Unfortunately, you can’t omit the Greek yogurt. The batter will be supremely dry without it! You can substitute regular yogurt or non-dairy yogurt instead, though! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake!
I used this recipe as a guide, changing the ingredients just enough to make it vegan (sorry!). Not much rise as a result, but it is delicious! It came out really cutely in my angel ring tin.
I also indulged a little bit with a thin glaze made with orange & lemon juice & powdered sugar because that’s my favourite kind of icing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake! My brother is actually allergic to eggs and lactose-intolerant, so I’m really familiar with vegan baking substitutions. If you ever want to check something ahead of time with me to make sure things turn out perfectly when you try to veganize one of my recipes, I’m happy to help! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Wanted to make orange and poppy seed muffins and came across your recipe. Just wanted to give you a huge thanks for the delicious recipe! It was a crowd hit! I add cream cheese icing to the muffins because sometimes you deserve a treat! I was questioned why I was making orange and poppy seed muffins but that person questioning my madness at three in one day (two in one sitting ahaha).
I’m thinking of trying your pumpkin muffins or carrot cake oatmeal snack next. I’m sure they’ll be just as delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Keely! That means so much to me that the person questioning the flavor combo ate two in one sitting — what a huge compliment to you as a baker!! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the pumpkin muffins or carrot cake oatmeal snack cake!!