Make the Most Amazing gluten-free Orange poppyseed cake!

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 🍽️!

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