Recipe | Mother's Day Bitter Orange & Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

You know me, I love a theme, any excuse to make a cake and I'm there! Which is why I've decided to make a little bake for Mother's Day, which in the UK is coming up really soon on the 6th March. This year I'm taking my mam out for afternoon tea at Matfen Hall, I'll definitely do a post on that! But if you want to make your own handmade treat for your mum, a cake is always a nice gesture. I have got another Mother's Day cake recipe coming up in a few days too, so stay tuned for that, but today I've got a gorgeous Bitter Orange & Poppy Seed Cake.

If your mum is anything like mine, she isn't a fan of cakes drowned in icing, she much prefers cakes like loafs with a glaze, so this cake is perfect (although fear not if your mum is an icing fiend my next recipe has some!). It's really easy to make, the cake is super soft and moist and the glaze is to die for!

Ingredients -

For the cake -

3 tbsp good-quality thick marmalade
150g pot natural yogurt
3 eggs
175g golden caster sugar
200g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
175g butter, softened
zest 1 orange
2 tsp poppy seeds

For the glaze -

juice ½ orange
5 tbsp marmalade

Method -

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Grease a deep, medium-sized loaf tin (about 20 x 10cm, measured from the top), then line the base with parchment paper. Put the marmalade into a small pan, heat gently until melted. Beat in the yogurt, then let cool for a few mins.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs, beating after each addition. Mix in the flour and baking powder until combined, add the orange zest and poppy seeds and mix.

3. Quickly beat in the yogurt and marmalade mix, then pour into the prepared tin. It will be quite runny. Leave the mix mounded in the middle of the tin rather than levelling the top, to help it rise and crack in the middle.

4. Bake for 1 hr-1 hr 10 mins until golden and well-risen; a skewer should come out clean. Take a look at the cake after 45 mins; if it has taken on a lot of colour, loosely cover with baking paper.

5. Meanwhile, heat the orange juice and marmalade in a small pan over a gentle heat until the marmalade melts. Set aside to cool, stirring now and again, until you have a thick, but still runny, glaze. When the cake is ready, cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn onto a rack. Spoon the topping over the cake while it’s just warm. Slice and enjoy!

Recipe | Mother's Day Bitter Orange & Poppy Seed Loaf Cake

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