Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin or line a similar-size cake tin with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, combine 200g butter and 200g sugar in a large bowl. Beat until light and creamy, about 2 mins, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after you add each one. Tip in the flour and baking powder, mix for a few secs, then add the orange juice, zest of 2 oranges and poppy seeds. Stir everything together, then pour into the cake tin. Bake for 50 mins, then remove from the oven. Cool completely in the tin.
• Meanwhile, make the candied orange zest by combining the remaining zest (finely sliced), 25g sugar and 100ml water in a small pan. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 mins until thick. Remove the zest with a slotted spoon onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper.
• For the sauce, heat the cream in a small pan until nearly boiling. Put the chocolate and remaining butter into a bowl, then pour the hot cream over it and leave for 1 min to melt. Stir together until smooth, then let it sit until the cake is cool (if it hardens, just reheat gently). Drizzle the sauce over the cake, sprinkle with the candied zest and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a Bundt or angel food cake pan.
• Pour the poppy seeds into the buttermilk in a small bowl. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whip the egg whites to medium peaks; set aside.
• Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, blending well between additions. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the egg mixture; fold gently to mix. Stir in the poppy seeds, milk, and vanilla extract. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites until just incorporated.
• Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar. Pour the remaining batter over top, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar. With a knife, lightly swirl in the chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar so they are dispersed throughout the cake.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Allow cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and lightly flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, 1 tablespoon orange peel, water, 1/2 cup orange juice, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in poppy seed. Pour into pan.
• Bake as directed on box for 12-cup fluted tube pan. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack or heatproof serving plate. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon orange peel and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Stir in additional orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is smooth and consistency of thick syrup. Spread glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down sides. Garnish with additional orange peel. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
• Place a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
• First, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, coffee, and salt, whisking until the mixture is combined and smooth. Sprinkle on the flour and fold it in with a rubber spatula until it's incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note), until the top puffs up and cracks and the cake doesn't wobble when you jiggle the pan. (A toothpick will not come out clean.) Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack. The cake will deflate as it cools. Run a small knife around the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the cake in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche.

Steps:

• For cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 12x17-inch jelly roll pan. In small bowl, combine buttermilk, poppyseeds and 4 teaspoons orange peel. Let stand 15 minutes. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with poppyseed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Melt 8 ounces chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from over water and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Whisk chocolate into creme fraiche. Mix in 2 teaspoons orange peel and liquer. Cut cake crosswise into four 4x12-inch pieces. Set aside 1 piece for another use. Using serrated knife, split remaining 3 pieces in half horizontally, forming 6 layers. Place 1 cake layer cut side up on 4x12-inch piece of cardboard. Spread 1/3 cup chocolate creme fraiche evenly over cake. Top with second cake layer and spread with 1/3 cup creme fraiche. Repeat layering with remaining cake and 1 cup creem fraiche, ending with cake cut side down. Smooth remaining creme fraiche over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 2 hours. Place cake on rack set over rimmed cookie sheet. Spread some Chocolate Glaze over sides of cake. Pour remaining glaze over top of cake. Smooth top and sides with spatula if necessary. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes to set glaze. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let cake stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.) Garnish cake with orange slices.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with waxed paper. Butter sides of pan and paper. Dust pan with flour. Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl until pale yellow. Mix in flour, then chocolate mixture. Using electric mixer, beat whites in another bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.) Sift powered sugar over cake and serve.

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, heavy cream and the granulated sugar (first 3 ingredients), and let the mixture stand, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 24 hours. In a metal bowel set over barely simmering water melt the chocolate, stirring until it is smooth and let it cool. Whisk the 8 ounces chocolate, the 2 tsp zest and the Grand Mariner into the cream mixture and chill the filling, covered, for 1 hour.
• Make the cake: Line a buttered jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches x 1 inch with wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess. In a small bowel, stir together the buttermilk, the poppy seeds, and the zest and into another bowl sift together the flour, the baking soda, and the salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the egg yolks and the vanilla, beating until just combined. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition until the batter is just combined. In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one fourth of them into the batter to lighten it, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden and the cake springs back when touched lightly. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack, invert it onto the rack and remove the wax paper carefully. With a serrated knife cut the cake crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
• Make the glaze: In a heavy saucepan melt the chocolate with the butter and the cream over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth, and let the glaze cools to room temperature
• Assemble the cake: On a rack set over a jelly-roll pan arrange one of the cake layers, spread it with one third of the filling, and top the filling with another cake layer. Spread the cake with half the remaining filling and top it with the remaining cake layer. Spread the remaining filling onto the top and sides of the cake and chill for 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, smoothing it over the sides, and chill the cake for 30 min or until the glaze is set.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the cake: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest.
• Set aside.
• In an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add the oil and vanilla and beat until just combined.
• Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the 3/4 cup orange juice.
• Mix slightly after each addition, just to incorporate.
• Add the poppy seeds and mix to incorporate the seeds into the batter.
• Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until the point of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• To make the syrup: While the cake is baking, place the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• When the cake is done, immediately unmold it from the springform pan.
• Prick it all over with a skewer and brush the syrup all over the top and sides of the cake while it is still hot.
• The cake will absorb all the syrup.
• Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pan.
• Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt; reserve.
• On medium speed beat granulated sugar, oil and egg whites until blended. On low, beat in poppy seeds, 1 1/2 t zest and flour mixture.
• Beat in 3/4 c milk until smooth.
• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar with remaining 2 t of milk and 1/2 t zest; pour over cake.
• Garnish with orange zest strips, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter a deep, medium-sized loaf tin (about 20 x 10cm, measured from the top), then line the base with a rectangle of non-stick baking paper. Put the marmalade into a small pan, heat gently until melted (or use a microwaveproof jug or bowl, then cook on High for 30 secs). Beat in the yogurt, then let cool for a few mins.
• Put the remaining cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth. 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.
• 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. Meanwhile, heat the orange juice and marmalade in a small pan over a gentle heat until the marmalade melts (or use the microwave as before). 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. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep for up to 3 days tightly wrapped in an airtight container. Will freeze for up to 1 month, un-glazed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, ground almonds, poppy seeds, baking powder and baking soda) together in a bowl.
• Combine the zest, egg, egg whites and extract in a second bowl. Add the dry mixture and mix well. Form the dough into 2 logs each 8-9 inches long.
• Place logs onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Put cut slices soft sides down back on the cookie sheets and bake slices another 8 to 10 minutes until dry.
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Filling:.
• 1 day before: In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, heavy cream and sugar and let the mixture stand, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 24 hours.
• At least 1 hour before: In a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the cocolate, stirring until smooth, and let it cool. Whisk the chocolate, the zest, and the Grand Marnier into the cream mixture and chill the filling, covered, for 1 hour.
• Cake:.
• Line a buttered jelly-roll pan (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch) with wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.
• In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, poppy seeds, and the zest.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until the mixture is just combined.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition until the batter is just combined.
• In another bowl with cleaned beaters, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks; stir 1/4th of them into the batter to lighten it.
• Fold the remaining whites gently but thoroughly into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cake springs back when touched lightly. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
• Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the wax paper carefully. With a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
• Glaze:.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter and cream over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Let the glaze cool to room temperature.
• Assembly:.
• On a rack set over a jelly-roll pan, arrange one of the cake layers. Spread it with 1/3 of the filling; top the filling with another cake layer. Spread the cake with half of the remaining filling and top it with the remaining cake layer.
• Spread the remaining filling onto the top and sides of the cake and chill the cake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is set.
• Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, smoothing it over the sides, and chill the cake for 30 minutes or until the glaze is set.