This delicious cake was the main part of our Imbolc celebrations. Imbolc being the midpoint between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. As part of our seasonal rituals as a family, we celebrated the return of the light and being closer to spring. On this day the children and I made beeswax candles and together we baked this Orange Poppyseed Cake. It would be equally delicious with lemon as well. It is a take on a lemon and olive oil cake I made a couple years back for griffin’s 3rd birthday. I used oranges because they had a sale at our local co-op on cara cara oranges that I made into marmalade a couple days before. So I thought orange might be a delicious twist.

Orange Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

CAKE

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup organic turbinado sugar

2 tablespoons poppyseed

zest of one orange

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup of milk (we used oat milk)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup of greek yogurt

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, sift flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add orange zest and poppy seeds and mix well to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the greek yogurt. Pour mixture into greased cake pan and bake for 40 minutes. Use a toothpick or cake tester in the center to ensure it is done.

Let cake cool before frosting.

TO MAKE FROSTING

Beat softened butter and cream cheese until blended. Add powdered sugar, half a cup at a time until incorporated, add vanilla and orange zest until creamy. Frost your cake! and enjoy.