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Home » Desserts » Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake (Vegan).

Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake (Vegan).

Jan 23, 2019 by Kelly Roenicke · 33 Comments

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blood orange poppy seed vegan cake

Blood orange poppy seed cake is a tasty and beautiful dessert that’s sure to please your guests! This is a lovely dessert to make in the winter months.

blood orange poppy seed cake on a light green plate

Are you as fascinated with blood oranges as I am?

They’re just so beautiful with their deep red hue, and the sweet/tart flavor is so nice. I love to make fresh squeezed blood orange juice at this time of year. You can’t find a prettier glass of juice!

Fun fact: when blood oranges were first discovered in China, there were some pretty crazy accusations flying around – people thought the trees were poisoned, or that the oranges were actually injected with blood. Yikes. Thankfully it was just a spontaneous genetic mutation.

Are blood oranges healthier than regular oranges?

All oranges have a good dose of vitamin C, but because of their deep crimson hue, blood oranges have higher amounts of antioxidants. They’re a nice addition to smoothies, desserts, or just plain!

We love citrus poppy seed breads and cakes in our family, so I thought I’d try to make a blood orange poppy seed cake. It was delicious – the cake had a nice bright citrus flavor, and the orange slices on top add a pop of ruby red color.

vegan blood orange poppy seed cake on a plate with oranges in the background

What do blood oranges taste like?

Blood oranges are sweet and tart, and have a little bit of a berry flavor to them. The flavor of a blood orange is more intense than that of a regular orange.

If I can’t have poppy seeds, what should I use instead in this cake recipe?

You could use chia seeds if you wish, or just go ahead and leave all seeds out. The cake will still be delicious!

This blood orange poppy seed cake is:

  • dairy free and vegan
  • a great addition to a brunch or party
  • a lovely way to use winter citrus fruit

slices of poppy seed cake with blood oranges

Can I make this cake in a different type of pan?

Yes, you can make this cake in an 8-inch square or round pan. You could also try cupcakes – but the baking time will be less. Try 18-22 minutes for cupcakes. Orange poppy seed cupcakes would be delicious frosted with dairy free buttercream frosting.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

5 from 1 vote
Print

Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake.

A fun twist on a classic recipe - this blood orange poppy seed cake has a bright citrus flavor!

Course Dessert
Cuisine Dairy Free, vegan.
Keyword blood orange recipes, vegan poppy seed cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 320 kcal
Author Kelly Roenicke

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups white spelt flour or all purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup cold water
  • ½ cup organic canola oil or coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed blood orange juice
  • ½ Tablespoon blood orange zest
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 blood orange sliced thin
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

  2. Whisk the spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange zest, and poppy seeds together in a large bowl.

  3. Add the canola oil, blood orange juice, and water and mix until blended.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Lay the blood orange slices on top of the batter.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  6. Cool completely before serving.

Recipe Notes

Store leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It should stay fresh for up to 4 days.

If you can't have poppy seeds, go ahead and leave them out.

I have not made this recipe with gluten free flour, so I'm not sure how well it will work.

Nutrition Facts
Blood Orange Poppy Seed Cake.
Amount per Serving
Calories
320
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Sodium
 
148
mg
6
%
Potassium
 
41
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
42
g
14
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
25
g
28
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
10
IU
0
%
Vitamin C
 
4.2
mg
5
%
Calcium
 
28
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1.2
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

vegan blood orange poppy seed cake

This post was originally published in February 2015. It has been updated with new photos and tips.

Related

« Superfood Chia Seed Parfait.
Chocolate Gingerbread Donuts (Gluten Free, Vegan). »

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Desserts, food, Recipes, Sweets, Vegan Tagged With: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free, Garlic Free, Legume Free, Nightshade Free, Onion Free, Peanut Free, Sesame Free, Shellfish Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelly Roenicke
Kelly Roenicke
Mom to two boys with food allergies and sensitivities, Kelly is passionate about allergy friendly cooking and baking. She believes that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.
Kelly Roenicke
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maya

    March 03, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Kelly
    I am a complete disaster when it comes to baking. I am not vegan nor allergic but I was actually looking for a simple dessert recipe that had a few ingredients so I thought I’d try this one. It was so simple, pretty and yummy!
    My cake however got stuck to the bottom of the tin… was I supposed to just grease it more, or is there a way to take the cake out that I don’t know about? Again, I hardly have ANY baking experience so please just tell me how you take a cake out of the tin smoothly? Thank you xx

    Reply
    • Kelly Roenicke

      March 04, 2017 at 10:22 pm

      Sorry your cake got stuck! Next time you could try putting a circle of parchment paper down and then greasing that. If your pan isn’t non-stick, that should help.

      Reply
  2. amélie

    June 26, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    made it with coconut sugar (powder) and slightly undercooked the cake, and was really taste!!! did the same with the lemon cake, eveyone adores it at home! finally a vegan cake without cacao.

    Reply
    • Kelly

      June 26, 2015 at 11:29 pm

      Wonderful! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  3. Cera Kera

    April 22, 2015 at 12:05 am

    Hi! I love this recipe! I had all the ingredients except blood oranges, I was completely out. Luckily,I had plenty of organic lemons lying around so I used them instead and made a classic lemon poppy seed cake, came out great! I’ll definitely make this with blood oranges next time, thanks for the great recipe. :-)

    Reply
    • Kelly

      April 23, 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Oooh, that sounds really good! Thansk for letting me know you liked it! I appreciate the feedback! :)

      Reply
  4. susan

    March 17, 2015 at 5:35 am

    Can you eat the peels on the blood oranges that are baked into the top of the cake?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      March 17, 2015 at 6:36 pm

      I wouldn’t, because I think they would be kind of bitter. I don’t usually eat orange peel unless it is organic, and it has been candied. :)

      Reply
      • susan

        March 18, 2015 at 12:14 am

        Thanks, Kelly. I thought that baking them (and since they are embedded in the top of the cake), they might be edible, unlike with raw oranges. Even if they were, I agree with you about not eating the outside of non-organic produce, and I have not found organic blood oranges, that often.

        Reply
  5. pam1949

    February 20, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    I don’t use canola oil, any substitutions?

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:02 pm

      Vegetable oil or refined coconut oil should work just fine!

      Reply
  6. chefsavvy

    February 18, 2015 at 6:22 pm

    This cake is so pretty! Love the colors of the blood orange!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:07 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  7. Katie @ Produce On Parade

    February 18, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    What a beautiful cake! I loved your little factoid about blood oranges! I just had a couple come in my CSA box, but they were totally orange, not red! :(

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:08 pm

      Thank you, Katie! How did the orange blood oranges taste?

      Reply
  8. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits

    February 18, 2015 at 12:42 pm

    I had no clue that blood oranges came from China! They add such a wonderful pop to this cake!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:10 pm

      Thanks, Lisa!

      Reply
  9. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

    February 17, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    I just love blood oranges. The color is so pretty! This cake is just perfect Kelly : )

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      Thanks, Natalie!

      Reply
  10. Sarah@Whole and Heavenly Oven

    February 17, 2015 at 8:36 am

    This cake is absolutely gorgeous, Kelly! I love love that you combined both blood oranges and poppyseeds. Soo pretty. :)

    Reply
  11. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    February 16, 2015 at 5:13 pm

    What a gorgeous cake, Kelly! I’ve never tried blood oranges before, so I need to get on that asap. Sounds delish!

    Reply
  12. Caitlin

    February 16, 2015 at 4:53 pm

    It seems as though we both had poppy seeds on the mind! I like the addition of blood oranges…can’t get enough of em either!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:13 pm

      We certainly did! Your bread looks so delicious, too, Caitlin!

      Reply
  13. Strength and Sunshine

    February 16, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    Blood oranges beat normal oranges!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:14 pm

      For sure, right?

      Reply
  14. khenricks

    February 16, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    Oh my … this looks and sounds positively delish! I too adore blood oranges!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:15 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  15. enjoyeverybite

    February 16, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    This cake looks delicious and beautiful! Wish I had some right now!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:15 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  16. Tawnie Kroll

    February 16, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Wow yum I need to try this out! Thank you looks amazing :)

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:16 pm

      You should try it! It’s easy to make!

      Reply
  17. Julia

    February 16, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Haha! I didn’t know that about the Chinese…that’s funny. Those cheeky little blood oranges, causing all the confusion….

    This cake looks ah-maaaay-zing!! I love the citrus/poppy seed combo too and would love a hunk of this for breakfast!!

    Reply
    • Kelly

      February 21, 2015 at 6:16 pm

      Thanks, Julia!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Kelly, and I believe that you can enjoy amazing, easy recipes even when cooking for multiple food allergies.

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