Orange Poppy Seed Cake
Periplus Mini Cookbooks Classic Essential Cake
Makes one 20 cm round cake
1/2 cup poppy seeds
2/3 cup orange juice
185 gr butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
Buttercream
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
finely shredded rind from 1 orange
150 gr butter
Direction:
1. Preheat oven to 180° C. Brush a 20 cm round cake tin with melted butter or oil, line base with baking paper. Combine poppy seeds and orange juice in small bowl. Using electronic beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add rind; beat until combined.
2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold in shifted flours alternately with the poppy seeds mixture. Stir until just combined and mixture is almost smooth. Spoon intoprepared tin, smooth surface. Bake for 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into centre. Leave in tin for 10 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
3. To make Buttercream: Combine sugar and orange juice in a small pan. Stir over medium heat without boiling until sugar completely dissolved. Add rind, bring to boil and simmer uncovered without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Remove rind from syrup with tongs, set aside. Cool syrup completely.
Using electric beaters, beat butter in small bowl until light and creamy. Pour syrup slowly onto butter, beating until all is added and mixture is smooth and fluffy.
4. Cut cake in half horisontally. Spread one half with half the buttercream. Replace top, spread with remaining buttercream. Decorate with rind.
