Orange Poppy Seed Tea Cake

We needed a Sunday Dinner dessert last week and this recipe came to mind. It is such an easy recipe to throw together and goes perfect with so many meals. Such a throw back to 50's housewife baking days; when dessert was on the menu all the time. A cake to serve the family when you are all sitting on the porch and drinking coffee. We paired our with chai the other night and it was a delicious treat. With the business of our lives and craziness of the world around us it the little things that bring simple pleasures and connect us as a family. We love to talk about our week over our Sunday dinners. Even our children look forward to our Sunday night dinners, connecting and dessert.


Cake:
1/4 cup poppy seeds
3/4 cup milk (whole is best!)
14 tbsp. butter
1 orange, zested
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. orange zest

Preheat the oven to 325* and prepare a 9 inch cake pan. I greased and floured mine. Place your poppy seeds in the milk and set aside. To your bowl add butter, sugar, orange rind and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time beating thoroughly after each one and scraping the sides of the bowl. Next add the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, poppyseed mixture, and orange juice; mix just until combined. Over mixing leads to a tough cake. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack; while it cooling make the frosting. In a mixing bowl add cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat until smooth; add powdered sugar and orange peel and beat until fluffy. Once cake is cooled for 10 minutes remove from pan and let it finish cooling. Pick out your favorite cake plate and place your cake on it and frost. 

Notes:

*Cake taste better if you make it the day before. 

*Cut your cake in half and make a layer cake.

Frosting ingredients

I have made the cake multiple times and it is always a hit.