Whole Orange-Poppy Seed Cake

Doesn't this cake look delicious? Doesn't the name give a scrumptious sounding description? I was really excited to try this recipe. I won't make it again. Yesterday I made this orange-poppy seed cake AND the caramel apple oat bars that I've posted below. I was disappointed with both recipes. Bummer. Not a very successful day in the kitchen. This recipe uses a WHOLE orange. You puree the whole orange - rind and all - in the food processor. I guess my big complaint about this recipe is that it tastes too.......well, orangy. First let me say that I love orange but it's the sort of orange taste that it has that I don't care for. Orange juice or even orange extract imparts a very nice smooth sweet orange flavor but I'm sure that it's the rind in this recipe that causes that sharp and very overpowering orange flavor. It's too much. But I do know that this recipe has a big following because I have found it on many blogs and all of the bloggers who made it and reviewed it, loved it. So maybe you can try it and it might be something you'd really enjoy. I'm obviously in the minority.

I rarely bring out my food processor. I just find it more trouble than it's worth but I definitely needed it for a job like this.

I used my wonderful grease proof cups from the Japanese dollar store, Daiso. Gosh, I get excited about these! They are so perfect and sturdy. I have them in every size.

The best part of these little cakes is the lemon/orange glaze that gets brushed on top.

Whole Orange-Poppy Seed Cake
from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy

for the cake:
1 whole orange, well washed
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

for the glaze:
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan. Using a sharp knife, remove the little green stem from the orange skin. Cut the orange into 8 pieces. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the orange pieces (skin and all!) and 1/2 cup of the sugar until pureed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, so that no large orange skin pieces remain. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in the orange pulp. whisk in the melted butter to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds to combine. Sprinkle over the orange mixture and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted intot eh center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes before unmolding the cake onto the rack for glazing. In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, and sguar at a high simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until reduced by half. Using a pastry brush, brush the hot glaze all over the cake while it is still warm.