Orange Poppy Seed Festive Cake

Ingredients:

Sponge cake

• 220 g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 3 cups flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
• 3 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour milk

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest, plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Special equipment: ring cake pan with a capacity of 10-15 cups

Preparation:

1. Biscuit: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and flour a 10- to 15-cup ring-shaped pie pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Add the orange zest. Then, whisking in the eggs and yolks, one at a time. Continue whisking until the poppy seeds and vanilla extract are combined. Alternately whisk in the flour mixture and the sour milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45-50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake out of the pan and let it cool completely.
4. Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange zest, and juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve.
   
   

   Note

   
   Creaming butter—combining it with sugar—is one of the most important steps in making sponge cake. Recipes often call for 3-5 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but it's actually worth it. Creaming butter and sugar aerates the batter, resulting in a light and fluffy sponge cake. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before creaming, and scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically.