This orange poppyseed cake is rich, and bold in flavor and it definitely won’t disappoint you if you suffer from a sweet tooth! In Christianity, the poppy is a symbol of harvest, fertility, and peaceful sleep!
Christmas Eve is the day I wait for all year round. It is not only about Santa Claus and gifts but also about the taste and smell of delicious dishes. These dishes are prepared once a year on this one and only special day. According to Polish tradition, there should be 12 of them.
Traditional orange poppyseed cake made Vegan
Orange poppyseed cake aka”Makowiec” is a cake that I associate with the Christmas season. That’s when I eat this cake most often. It can take the form: it could be a traditional round cake or an oval strudel. Each family has its own way of serving this cake. In my house, we eat it as a cake with shortcut pastry bottoms and icing on top. I mean my cake is loaded with poppy seeds, fruit, and nuts!
In my house, we cannot imagine the Holiday season without this orange poppyseed cake. Interestingly, eating this sweet delicacy during Christmas Eve dinner has a long tradition. According to folk beliefs, eating poppy seeds during the Christmas season was supposed to bring happiness and prosperity to the household. Additionally, poppy seeds appeared on our tables as a symbol of fertility and a good harvest.
Although today I do not attach so much importance to the symbolism of Christmas Eve dishes the tradition of eating poppy seed cake has remained, and there is no indication that it would not be continued! 😜
Where did the orange poppy seed cake come from?
This cake can be linked to apocryphal Christian legends according to which poppies grew out of the place where Jesus’ blood fell during the crucifixion. But the poppy seed was symbolically linked to beliefs about the afterlife also in pre-Christian times. The Slavs considered poppy seeds a substance that allowed them to cross the line between life and death. Makowiec also appears in the stories later in the story. For example, in 1681, the royal baker of Jan III Sobieski baked a poppy seed cake decorated with the image of the king’s beloved wife, Marysieńka. In turn, Stanisław August Poniatowski once received a poppy seed cake with a length of over 4 meters.
💡 Interesting fact
Old beliefs say that poppy seeds eaten on Christmas Eve are supposed to ensure happiness for the whole next year. Interestingly, it was once believed that “girls were spawning poppy seeds on Christmas Eve to get married soon”.
As you can see, the poppyseed cake is not only a delicious cake but also has other advantages. I recommend it to all girls looking for a significant other, as well as to people with sleep problems! Remember that Christmas does not count! 😁
This orange poppyseed cake is:
- Rich
- Bold if flavor
- Deliciously sweet
- Easy to make
- VEGAN
- Great Christmas dessert idea
- Filled to the brim with fruit and nuts
Possible Supplies Needed:
Round cake form (20 cm diameter)
Baking paper
Ceramic balls, peas, or beans for baking blind
Pot for cooking poppy seed mixture
Cookie cutters for decoration
Sheets of baking paper
Ingredients you need to make this orange poppyseed cake
BASE
a mix of flour: millet flour, potato flour, rice flour, and flax seeds or you can use a ready-made gluten-free blend.
sugar – I use coconut sugar here but feel free to use regular sugar.
coconut oil – I use organic cold press oil.
apple cider vinegar – it will help the base to be lighter.
CAKE MIX
poppyseeds – I recommend using grounded seeds, otherwise you have to grind them yourself. Do not use whole seeds.
maple syrup – you can substitute it with honey if you want.
plant milk – I am using almond milk for that extra nutty flavor.
mixed dried fruit – I recommend cranberries, raisins, sultanas, and candied orange peel
mixed nuts – I recommend walnuts and almonds for this cake
rum – you can omit this part but it adds additional fantastic flavor to this cake!
Expert tips:
- put the cut-out shapes in the fridge which will help with transferring them onto the cake. This is a gluten-free dough so it is very fragile.
- put ceramic balls or peas or beans on top of the base as it will prevent this from rising too much.
- when baking your whole cake I like to cover the cake with parchment paper to prevent the decoration from browning before the cake is done. At the last 5 min, I take it off to let them get brown.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Can I use a different type of flour?
Feel free to experiment with alternative gluten-free flours to suit your preferences.
Is it necessary to include rum in this orange poppyseed cake?
No, the rum is optional, and the recipe can be enjoyed without it.
Do I have to cook the poppy seeds?
Yes, it is an important step. This will soften your needs and remove the bitter taste
How do you grind poppy seeds for baking?
I simply use the coffee grinder. Do not use the whole seeds. You do need to grind them to break the other shell. That also helps to soften them when cooked and helps to create a uniform mix for the filling.
Other recipes you might like:
- bigos – delicious stewed cabbage with kraut
- healthy and tasty beetroot drink – Kvass
- baked orange cheesecake with dark chocolate – big hit in my family and friends 🙂
- lentil loaf with a delicious glaze
- vegan fish greek-style
If you try this orange Poppyseed cake feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating. And if you share a photo of your orange and poppyseed cake creation on Instagram please tag me @_pronounced_ and use hashtag #_pronounced_ because I love seeing your remakes and I don’t want to miss your post! Happy cooking 🍽️!
Orange poppyseed cake
Ingredients
bottom layer
- ⅔ cup millet flour (85 gram)
- ⅓ cup rice flour (45 gram)
- ¼ cup potato flour (30 gram)
- 1 tbsp flaxseed grounded
- ½ cup coconut sugar (65 gram)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil (45 gram)
- 1 tsp apple cider viniger
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 6 tbsp water
caka layer
- 2 cups poppyseeds grounded (500 gram)
- ½ cup maple syrup (250 ml)
- 1 ½ cup plant milk (750 ml)
- 1 cup mixed dried fruit (128 gram)
- 1 cup mixed nuts (128 gram)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (15 ml)
- 3 tbsp rum (45 ml)
icing (optional)
- ½ cup ising sugar
- 1 tbls soy cream
Instructions
- Prepare round form with a diameter of 20 cm lining it with baking paper.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Put all of your flour, sugar and salt into the bowl. Add coconut oil and knead the crumble. Then add vinegar and water and knead the whole thing.( We set aside 2 tablespoons of dough for decoration) – If you have a food processor you can do what I did and all of it in and blitz till all comes together!
- Transfer the remaining amount to a form lined with paper and press it carefully. Cover with baking paper and load with ceramic balls or peas or beans.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 15 minutes. Then we take the form out of the oven, remove the load and bake the cake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Put the poppy seeds into a pot and pour over the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring. Add dry fruit, crushed nuts, orange zest, maple syrup, rum and coconut oil.
- I cook the whole thing for about 30 minutes. Leave the ready mass to cool down.
- Roll the remaining amount of dough into a thin cake between two sheets of baking paper.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out the desired shapes and put them in the fridge for a few minutes. Put the poppy seed mass on the baked cake.
- Decorate with prepared shapes. Bake the dough for about 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool.
- If you want to add the icing just mix the icing sugar with soy milk till you have nice and smooth consistency. Pour it over your cake
- ENJOY! it is delicious! 😁🤤
Notes
IF YOU HAVE PINTEREST YOU CAN FIND ME HERE AND PIN THE PICTURE BELOW IF YOU WANT 😁⬇️
Oh wow, not only does this look delicious but I love how much detail you’ve provided and it’s interesting to know the story behind the food too! Can’t wait to try and make it. Thankyou!
Author
Thank you, Jon 🙂 I love learning about the ingredients 🙂
this looks so delicious
Author
It was a hit with my teenagers in the house 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. A great gluten-free option, it looks delicious!
Author
It was a hit in my house this year 🙂
Lovely! This cake looks so moist and delicious. Will definitely try this
This looks absolutely delicious! I must give this a try for New Years Eve, thanks for sharing 🙂
Author
Thanks! Let me know if you do 🙂
This looks very tasty!
Author
thank you 🙂 is our favourite Christmas cake
I loved the flavor and the smell of this cake! I’ve just added it to my Christmas menu! Quick question though, do have any suggestions for a rum alternative in the recipe? I want to make it again but without the rum.
Author
Hi Ellie :)Firstly thank yo for trying the recipe 🙂 Second the rum can be replaced with Apple juice or white grape juice, howevereven hese options will add sweetness and moisture, just rememebr they won’t add the depth of flavor that rum has.
I made this for a trial run before the holidays and it was a hit! My family loved the fruity flavor and I love that it’s vegan! Shh…don’t tell them, lol. I will make this for Christmas, for sure!
Author
Ah I am delighted you have tried and liked the recipe. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Moist, with just the right amount of citrus zing! Will make this again for my next brunch hosting. Thanks for this recipe!
Author
Ah I am delighted to hear that you will share this cake with others again 🙂 Thank you for trying this recipe
This looked really good so I was tempted to try it. The flavors did not disappoint! Definitely going to keep this recipe to make again.
Author
Thank you so much for trying the recipe 🙂
This is a delicious recipe and I loved that it was gluten-free so that I could share with my entire family. Also, VERY interesting about the poppy seed lore!
This orange poppyseed cake sounds amazing! I love the ingredients and how delicious it sounds!