Gluten-Free Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

I created this cake to show off my new homemade orange curd recipe but it has been an unexpected hit with the whole family. As you can imagine cake is not in short supply in our house as every week I’m testing recipes and my children can afford to be selective of which cakes they try and which they return to for a second slice.

I honestly thought this cake was one for the adults (basically as it’s not chocolate) and I was imagining this one would be particular favourite around Mothers Day. My mum concurred that she would be thrilled if I decided to make this again sometime around March.

However, it has proven irresistible with everyone, even our very fussy seven-year-old, with minor squabbles being had over who has the slice with the most orange curd visibly squidging through the layers. Although I did try to explain that all the slices have an equal amount, some has just been swirled into the buttercream more.

The thick citrus bright curd nestled in the ultra creamy buttercream which we whip until its light as air and the soft and tender sponge layers, moist with sour cream baked into the batter and sparked with even more orange zest had us all coming back for more.

It’s such an easy cake to pull together too and although you can’t beat the homemade orange curd which is the star of the show here, if you are pressed for time you can buy it in. I’ve seen clementine curd and blood orange curd available from more upmarket preserve companies.

Watch the Video

Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Orange and Poppy Seed Cake.

Ingredients Needed

Caster sugar. A fine white sugar which gives lightness. You can substitute for granulated white sugar.

Oranges. I used large unwaxed oranges. We only use the zest here so you can serve out the orange segments to family members who are revelling in the gorgeous orange scent permeating the kitchen whilst they are waiting for their cake to bake.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is softened which is slightly more soft than room temperature as it will emulsify into the eggs better. I really find the best way to achieve this is to pulse cubes of butter in the microwave in 3 second bursts.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders.

This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution ideas for within the blend if you go to the original recipe for this homemade flour mix.

Black poppy seeds. You can buy these from most supermarkets in the baking aisle.

Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Sour cream. Using sour cream is excellent in gluten-free cakes as it helps the texture and flavour of the cake. It adds moisture and a subtle tang and leads to a soft rich tender crumb.

Icing sugar (powdered sugar). I prefer to use icing sugar rather than caster sugar in buttercreams as it dissolves more easily which means an easy to achieve smooth texture which can whip up like a dream.

Vanilla extract. We’re just using vanilla in the buttercream here, not in the sponge itself. So we need a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey.

Milk. Use whole milk or even double cream in the buttercream icing.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

Orange curd. The orange curd is not baked into the batter but used in between the cake layers and spooned on the top of the cake. I recommend making it yourself and my homemade orange curd recipe is easy, I’ve tried to make it absolutely foolproof if you’ve never made a curd before so do read all the tips and tricks. You’ll need to make the orange curd the day before you want to use it as it needs time to set.

If making your own curd is one step too many then of course you can use shop bought. You can buy orange/clementine curd from suppliers such as Daylesford Farm and Selfridges. It tends to be available from more specialist suppliers than something you can find on mainstream supermarket shelves.

How To Make Gluten-Free Orange & Poppy Seed Cake

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Rub the orange zest into the sugar. Add the butter and cream until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated.

Whisk together the gluten-free flour with the poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.

Add the ⅓ flour mixture alternately with ½ sour cream into the rest of the cake until it’s all evenly mixed.

Divide the cake batter between two cake tins and bake for 30 minutes.

Beat together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt and milk and mix again until evenly mixed.

Spread ¼ of the buttercream on top of one of the sponge layers. Spoon over half of the orange curd and spread out. Place the second sponge layer over the top.

Cover and spread the whole cake with most of the rest of the buttercream, reserving a few spoonfuls.

Spoon the rest of the orange curd over the top of the cake, lightly swirling it into the buttercream. Spoon the rest of the buttercream over the top of the orange curd, spreading it out so that the curd is peeking and dripping down the edges of the cake. Sprinkle over a little more poppy seeds over the top.

Recipe Variations

Buttercream. I love this classic buttercream recipe for its simplicity here but you could also use my cream cheese buttercream or swiss meringue buttercream in its place.

Lemon rather than orange. You can swap the orange zest in the sponges for lemon zest and use lemon curd instead of orange curd.

Making Ahead

You can make the sponge cakes up to 2 days before assembling with the orange curd and buttercream. Store the sponge cakes in an airtight container and keep in a cool dark place. Or freeze using the instructions below.

The whole cake can be made, including completely decorated, up to 2 days before serving. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Freezing

If you do want to make the cake ahead and freeze then I recommend just freezing the sponge cakes and filling and covering with the orange curd and buttercream on the day of serving.

Sponge Cakes. You can freeze the sponge cakes successfully for up to 3 months before decorating. First wrap the cooled sponges tightly in cling film (plastic wrap) and then double wrap in aluminium foil. Don’t forget to label including the date. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature overnight, unwrap once thawed and fill and decorate with the orange curd and buttercream icing.

Individual Slices. You can also freeze leftover slices of the whole cake. It needs a little more care when freezing:

• Place the leftover cake slices on a tray and flash freeze for 6-8 hours, before wrapping each slice up individually in cling film (plastic wrap) and placing in an airtight container.
• To thaw, remove the cake slices individually, unwrap whilst frozen so not to disturb the glaze. They should take about 1-2 hour to fully thaw.

More Gluten-Free Orange Cakes You’ll Love

Gorgeous Gluten-Free Orange Drizzle Cake is a lovely simple afternoon tea cake for citrus lovers with zesty fresh orange flavour and a very moist, tender crumb. 

This Whole Orange Cake with Chocolate Chips is made with unpeeled whole oranges which are boiled until soft then pureed before added to the cake mixture for an authentically fresh orange flavour. The cake is beautifully moist and flavourful with chocolate chips dotted throughout for added luxury.

This fudgy Chocolate Orange Marmalade Cake is gloriously rich and chocolatey with an unmistakable tangy orange kick. The cake has a gorgeously moist texture with an indulgent chocolate orange flavour.