Orange, Cardamom & Poppyseed cake

I love this recipe so much I could write it a love letter. If I ever get the option to use an olive oil base in a cake, I’m taking it without hesitation. Butter may be classic, but olive oil brings the kind of moisture that makes a cake tender, rich, and utterly irresistible. It also gives you a little more room for error, which means no split batter and no drama. Daddy Bakes likes his baking stress-free and luscious.

The flavour combo here is a favourite of mine: Orange and cardamom. It’s classic, comforting, and ever so slightly exotic. The orange brings brightness, the cardamom adds that whisper of spice, and together they make the kitchen smell like a warm hug. Throw in a generous handful of poppyseeds and suddenly we’re entering CWA-level territory. This is the kind of cake that might get you invited to judge a local baking competition… or at least get a wink and a recipe request from someone’s nan.

It’s the sort of bake I love for morning tea, lazy weekends, or showing up to a gathering with something that looks humble but tastes like you’ve been whisking away since sunrise. It’s simple, satisfying, and just that little bit unexpected.

And if you serve it with a dollop of yoghurt or a slick of citrus glaze? You might just have to start charging for slices. Daddy Bakes got standards, and this cake meets every one of them.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • ¼ tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 ½ cups Castor sugar
  • 3 large Eggs
  • Grated zest of 2 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Orange (around ¼ cup)
  • 1 cup Milk
  • ⅓ cup Poppyseeds
To Serve
  • Icing sugar 
  • Greek yoghurt

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 185°c (fan forced).
  2. Line a 9 inch cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
  3. In a bowl mix together your sifted flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda.
  4. In a stand mixer beat together your sugar & eggs until thickened and fluffy (around 4 mins of high). With the beater still running, slowly drizzle in your olive oil and continue to beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is fluffy.
  5. In a bowl combine your milk, orange juice, orange zest and cardamom and mix to combine.
  6. Reduce mixer speed to low and add your milk mixture and poppyseeds and beat until combined.
  7. Next mix your wet and dry mix by hand with a spatula until combined.
  8. Pour the cake batter into your cake tin and bake for around 35-45mins 0r until a skewer come out clean (times will vary depending on your oven).
  9. Once baked, remove cake from the tin and allow to cool on a rack.
  10. Serve with a dusting of icing powder and a dollop of greek yoghurt.

Notes:

  • You can sub the orange for any type of citrus.
  • The cardamom or poppy seeds can be left out if you’re not a fan.
  • Dont stress if your cake top cracks, this can be caused by a variety of different things but doesnt change the flavour of the cake.
  • If the cake browns too quickly on top you can cover it with a piece of foil and continue cooking.
  • You can sub the plain flour for SR Flour and omit the baking powder.

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