Recipe ~ Orange Poppyseed & Vanilla Layered Sponge Cake

After Ben struggled to choose between an Orange Poppyseed or Vanilla Cake, deciding he wanted both, I created the below. While it may seem complicated, it’s super easy, just time consuming. I’ve had several people ask for the recipe, so here it is! It really has been quite the hit!

Orange Poppyseed & Vanilla Layered Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

Vanilla Sponge Layer
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Caster Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Cup Self Raising Flour

Orange Poppyseed Layer
3 Eggs
1 Cup Caster Sugar
100g Ground Almonds (I did them in my food processor and then sifted them over the mixture. Next time I’ll probably just buy almond flour)
1/2 Cup Plain Flour
1 Tbs Poppyseeds
100g Melted Butter
2 Tsp Finely Grated Orange Zest

Ruby Orange Slices
1 Navel Orange
1 1/4 Cup Caster Sugar
1 Lemon Juiced
1 Tablespoon Brandy

Filling & Icing
250g Cream Cheese
150g Ricotta
1 Cup Icing Sugar

 

Method:

Vanilla Sponge Bottom Layer:
Step 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 20cm (base measurement) round cake tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Using electric beaters, beat 2 eggs in a bowl for 5 mins, until thick and it has increased in volume. Add sugar slowly (1/3 cup in total), beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Step 2. Sift 1/2 cup flour over egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, fold in until combined, taking care not to lose volume. Pour into tin.

Step 3. Bake for 18-20 mins, until the cake spring back to a light touch in the centre. Cool in tin for 5 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack and peel away the paper. Leave to cool completely.

Ruby Orange Slices:
Step 4. For ruby orange slices, trim ends from oranges so that when sliced, the pieces are nearly equal in size. Cut each into 5 relatively thin slices. Place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover top with a round of baking paper and simmer for 1 hour. Drain.

Step 5. In the same pan, combine 1 1/4 cup caster sugar, lemon juice and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, add orange slices and simmer gently for 1 1/4 hours or until very soft. Transfer slices to a bowl, add brandy; simmer syrup until thick, then pour over slices. (The syrup should smell amazing!)

Orange Poppyseed Top Layer:
Step 6. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Using an electric mixer on high speed, whisk eggs and sugar until they’ve tripled in volume, then sift over almonds and flour. Add poppyseeds, butter and zest, and stir to combine. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for approx 40 minutes. Stand cake in tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Step 7. For filling, process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Transfer half of the mixture to a second bowl. Remove 2 orange slices from syrup, chop and blend through one half of mixture.

Step 8. To assemble, place the bottom cake layer on a plate, brush with a little syrup, then spread with chopped orange filling. Place the top layer over, then spread with the plain filling. Cover the top with orange slices and drizzle with a little syrup.

Best kept and served at room temperature.

Enjoy! <3