This easy and moist Orange Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a twist on my lemon poppyseed muffins, but made with fresh-squeezed orange juice! Plus, it's topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting and dried orange slices for an elevated dairy-free cake you can enjoy all winter long!
It's citrus season, and that only means one thing- time to make more delicious vegan citrus cakes! This cake is part of my snacking cake series- focused on creating cake recipes you can enjoy "just because".
This is the 8th cake of the series, following my classic vegan vanilla cake, banana cake with cookie butter frosting, banana chocolate chip cake, peanut butter cake, strawberry cake, apple spice cake, and delicious blueberry lemon cake!
Cake & Frosting Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- All-purpose flour & Cornstarch: My go-to pastry flour was discontinued, so this is my mixture of all-purpose flour and cornstarch to give this cake the same texture.
- Oat milk: can be substituted 1:1 for any plant-based milk such as almond, rice, or soy milk.
- Orange juice: For this recipe, you'll need freshly squeezed orange juice (aka not the stuff from a carton).
- I love using navel or cara cara oranges!
- Olive Oil: Gives this cake the best tender texture. It can be swapped out 1:1 for any other liquid oil except coconut oil.
- Vegan cream cheese: I use Violife cream cheese for the frosting and highly recommend it. However, any plain vegan cream cheese will work here!
- If you prefer a glaze to frosting, you can check out the glaze from my grapefruit cake and swap in orange juice!
How to make orange poppyseed cake:
Make cake batter
Start by cutting your oranges in half and squeezing out the juice using a juicer. Then, mix the orange juice, olive oil, oat milk, sugar, and vanilla bean paste/ vanilla extract in a large bowl.
Next, add in the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. I recommend starting with a whisk, then switching to a spatula to prevent overmixing the batter.
Add to pan & bake
Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9-inch circular pan or an 8*8-inch square pan. Then, use a spatula to spread the batter out evenly in the pan.
Add the cake to the oven and bake at 350°F for 30-32 minutes. Then, remove the vegan orange cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. After that, carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack to continue cooling.
How to make vegan cream cheese frosting:
First, whip together the room-temperature vegan butter and vegan cream cheese with cornstarch until smooth. The cornstarch helps the vegan cream cheese from separating as it is high in moisture.
Then, gradually add in the powdered sugar and whip it into a thick but smooth frosting.
Once the orange poppyseed cake has cooled, frost the cake using a cake spatula.
I prefer to top my cake with dried orange slices (which you can make following my post on how to make dried citrus) and a sprinkle of poppy seeds. It makes the cake look extra fancy and fun!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make this vegan orange cake gluten-free?
While I have not tried it myself, it should work. You'll need to use a gluten-free 1:1 baking mix like this one from King Arthur.
Unfortunately, flour alternatives like coconut flour or almond flour will NOT work in this recipe as it's not a 1:1 substitution.
Can I bake this orange poppyseed cake in a different pan?
You can bake this cake in an 8 by 8 inch square pan for similar results.
This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan if you want to make more cake. Please keep in mind, baking time may vary slightly in a different pan, so I recommend checking on your cake at the 25-minute mark.
How do I store this orange cake?
If unfrosted, the cooled orange poppyseed cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying!
I hope you love this moist & delicious Vegan Orange Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting! It's dairy-free, eggless, and the perfect holiday cake!
More citrus cake recipes you will love:
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Orange Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Orange Poppyseed Cake:
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest zest of 1 large orange
- ¾ cup oat milk
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons poppyseeds
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 6 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 6 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ⅓- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds *optional, as garnish
- dried orange slices *optional, as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides of the pan. Set aside.
Make the orange poppyseed cake batter:
- To make the batter, start by adding the sugar and orange zest to a bowl. Use your hands to rub the orange zest into the sugar to release the zest's oils.
- Next, add the oat milk, orange juice, olive oil and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of sugar and whisk togehter.
- Once mixed, add in the dry ingredients starting with the all-purpose flour and adding the cornstarch, baking powder, poppyseeds baking soda, and salt on top.
- Mix into a thick batter. I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed.
Add to pan & bake:
- Pour the orange poppyseed cake batter into the parchment-lined pan and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Add the cake to the oven and bake at 350F for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, carefully move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting:
- Once the cake has cooled completely, make the frosting. Start by adding the butter, cream cheese, and cornstarch to a bowl. Use a standing mixer or electric mixer to whip together until combined and fluffy in texture (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar and whip together until incorporated. Once combined, I recommend whipping the frosting for a minute or two longer to make it extra fluffy!
Frost the cake & add toppings:
- Add the cream cheese frosting to the cooled orange cake and then spread it out with a cake spatula.
- Top with a sprinkle of poppyseeds, dried orange slices, or your choice of toppings. Then, slice, serve & enjoy!
Notes
- Please see blog post for more substitution ideas & baking tips.
- If unfrosted, the cooled orange poppyseed cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
- If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying!
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