Mother's Day Orange and Poppy Seed Cakes

 

Although it's all I can do to talk of comforting ingredients lately, Mother's Day spells light and fresh flavours. Although having thousands of options as per usual, I decided to make these orange and poppy seed mini loaves with orange juice icing. They would be the perfect thing to serve for either morning or afternoon tea on Mother's Day this Sunday.

 

 

 

Orange and poppy seed cakes (adapted from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook)

 

Made 18 mini loaves

 

2/3 cup poppy seeds, plus 1/4 cup extra

1 1/4 cups milk

3 3/4 cups plain flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

300g butter, softened, plus 50g extra, melted

Zest of 2 oranges

2 1/2 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

4 cups icing sugar

Sugar flowers

 

1. Soak 2/3 cup poppy seeds in the milk for at least half an hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease mini loaf tins (or line cupcake tins with papers).
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Cream 300g butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat for 1 minute. Add the sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add half of the milk and poppy seed mixture and beat until just combined. Repeat alternating remaining flour and milk mixtures until just combined. Do not over-beat at this will toughen the mixture.
6. Spoon mixture into mini loaf tins until 3/4 full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean (a little earlier if making cupcakes). Allow to cool in tins for 5 minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool completely.
7. To make the icing, combine 50g melted butter, orange juice and icing sugar. Stir until smooth.
8. To decorate cakes, cover just the tops with icing and then sprinkle extra poppy seeds around the edges. Top with a sugar flower to finish. They also look nice without the extra poppy seeds if you're not inclined to fiddle (as I usually am not).