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    Home » Recipes » Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecakes

    Published: Aug 7, 2018 · Updated: Jun 19, 2021 by Paula Montenegro
    Income from ads and affiliate links2 Comments

    Vanilla Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

    795 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Two slices of poppy seed cake on colorful plate, grey surface, cake on wooden plate

    As far as simple poppy seed cakes go, this vanilla bundt cake ticks all the boxes. It uses oil for extra moisture and quick mixing, so you can whip up the batter in 15 minutes. With the right amount of sweetness and crunch from the poppy seeds, it is bound to become your go-to recipe from now on.

    Table of Contents show
    What are poppy seeds?
    Simple steps
    About bundt cakes
    Powdered sugar glaze
    Top tips
    Vanilla Poppy seed bundt cake
    Ingredients
    Nutrition
    Two slices of poppy seed cake on colorful plate, blue background, cake on white stand

    This post has been updated with images and text to serve you better. 

    If you want a solid, easy-to-make recipe for vanilla bundt cake, you're gonna love this one.

    It's what we like to call a simple cake, with only a quick glaze, if that, poured on top before serving. The ingredients are everyday pantry staples, not counting the poppy seeds. But did you know you can freeze them?

    The flavor is subtle, with the crunchiness of the seeds and a tiny bit of almond extract.

    It keeps well for quite a few days, though I don't envision that will happen often.

    Slices of poppy seed cake on yellow plate with fork, grey surface, bundt cake on board and bowl

    What are poppy seeds?

    They are dried tiny seeds, bluish-black in color, obtained from the poppy (image below).

    They can be used whole or ground, and are very present in pastries and sweet bread recipes from Central and Eastern Europe, especially during the holiday season. They add a wonderful crunch and barely-there earthy flavor.

    Keeping: Poppy seeds contain oil so my recommendation is to keep them in the freezer. I have a glass jar in the freezer at all times and use them directly. Alternatively, keep them in the fridge.

    Yellow Cake batter with poppy seeds

    Simple steps 

    • Put eggs in a bowl and add sugar gradually while beating (image 1).
    • Beat at medium/high speed for about 2 minutes, until they double in volume and the batter is thickened and light in color (image 2). 
    Image Collage; adding sugar to eggs in glass bowl, beaten mixture
    • Add oil in a thin stream (image 3). This is similar to making homemade mayonnaise.
    • Beat until it is thick and light in color (image 4).
    • Even though you add oil, the batter will be thick but a little thinner than in step 2 (image above).
    Beating eggs with sugar and with oil, image collage
    • Add the sifted dry ingredients in 2 parts. I have everything measured and sift it directly over the batter (image 5).
    • Mix lightly and add the second part of the dry ingredients together with the poppy seeds (image 6).
    • The final batter is not too thick and you can clearly see the tiny poppy seeds (image 7).
    Three image collage: sifting flour onto cake batter, adding poppy seeds, batter in cake pan

    About bundt cakes

    Bundt cakes are called that way because they use specific pans with a central tube (hole). They usually have patterns, and they are constantly evolving and becoming more intricate.

    This makes for beautiful cakes, but those patterns come with a few issues. Cakes can be stuck easily when removing them as they have sharp angles and crooks and crannies everywhere.

    So try this: butter the pan thoroughly with room t° butter (I use a brush or my fingers) and flour it, shaking off excess. And then put it in the fridge while making the batter. Pour the batter directly into the cold pan. It makes all the difference.

    Another of my best tips (from that fabulous baker that was Maida Heatter) I found is to butter or spray the pan and then coat it with a thin layer of fine breadcrumbs. The crumbs almost melt into the cake so you'll still get a pretty smooth surface. I've been doing it for decades now.

    Here are my favorite bundt cake pan you can buy online.

    Two slices of yellow cake on a colored plate, cake in background, grey surface

    Powdered sugar glaze

    I use this glaze a lot and for a good reason: it delivers big time. It's the easiest two-ingredient glaze EVER.

    Just mix a cup of powdered sugar with your liquid of choice, anything from milk, cream, citrus juice (olive oil apple cake), liquor (lemon cream cake), wine (wine chocolate cake), honey, olive oil... and make it as thick or as runny as you want to.

    Yes, it's that versatile.

    So I used my much loved, ridiculously simple powdered sugar glaze because it looks nice. It does add a great crunchy layer too. But the essence of this beautiful vanilla poppy seed bundt cake stands well on its own.

    Slices of bundt cake on colorful plate, blue background, cake on wooden plate

    Top tips 

    • Poppy seeds: smell them before using them. If they smell rancid, like old oil, throw them away and go buy new ones. Use between 2-3 tablespoons. Don't be tempted to add than that.
    • Batter: it is important to beat until thickened and to add both sugar and oil in thin streams. This will ensure the cake is well mixed and the batter airy.
    • Pan: removing the cake from the pan is one of the worst moments when baking bundt cakes. But try this: butter the pan thoroughly with room t° butter (I use a brush or my fingers) and flour it, shaking off excess. And then put it in the fridge while making the batter. Pour the batter directly into the cold pan. It makes all the difference.
    • Keeping: this cake freezes wonderfully, well wrapped. Defrost at room t°.
    • Flavorings: this is a base recipe, but you can flavor it with citrus zest, liquors, and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon or ginger.
    • Glaze: a simple powdered glaze always works wonders both for flavor and for keeping. The glaze keeps the poppy seed cake's moisture sealed inside longer.
    • Serving ideas: use it as a pound cake and serve it sliced with whipped cream and berries. Or use it as a base for a trifle recipe, such as this Strawberry Trifle.
    Close-up of slices of poppy seed bundt cake on a colorful plate, a silver fork, grey surface

    Other recipes you might like:
    Lemon Olive Oil Bundt Cake
    Chocolate Coffee Mini Bundt Cakes
    Bourbon Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake
    Banana Bundt Cake
    Orange Marbled Bundt Cake
    Coconut Chocolate Bundt Cake

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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    Two slices of poppy seed cake on colorful plate, grey surface, cake on wooden plate

    Vanilla Poppy seed bundt cake

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 60 minutes
    • Total Time: 75 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    • Category: Cakes
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: International
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Amazing and simple Vanilla Poppy Seed Bundt Cake: it uses oil for extra moisture and quick mixing, so you can whip up the batter in 15 minutes. With the right amount of sweetness and crunch from the poppy seeds, it is bound to become your go-to recipe from now on.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the cake:

    • 2 cups (400g) sugar
    • 1 cup (250g) oil such as sunflower or canola
    • 3 eggs, at room tº
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 3 cups (405g) all-purpose or cake flour
    • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups (375g) whole milk, at room tº

    For the glaze:

    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
    • 3-4 tablespoons liquor (I use Cointreau), orange juice or milk

    Instructions

    For the cake:

    1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
    2. Butter or spray a 10-inch (26cm.) bundt cake pan and dust with fine breadcrumbs or flower, shaking off excess.
    3. In a large bowl beat eggs with sugar until they begin to thicken, about 2 minutes.
    4. Add oil in a thin stream while beating on high until it’s all combined, about 2 minutes.
    5. Add extracts and sifted dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt - in 3 parts alternating with milk in 2 parts. You can sift the dry ingredients before or directly over the egg mixture.
    6. Add the poppy seeds and mix everything well but do not over beat mixture at this point.
    7. Pour into the prepared mold and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
    8. Let cool on wire rack and carefully unmold.

    For the glaze:

    1. Mix sugar with liquid until creamy and no lumps remain.
    2. Pour over cold cake and let drip down the sides.
    3. Keep cake at room tº wrapped in film paper o under a dome.

    Notes

    Tips & tricks for making this recipe:

    • Poppy seeds: smell them before using them. If they smell rancid, like old oil, throw them away and go buy new ones. Use between 2-3 tablespoons. Don't be tempted to add than that.
    • Batter: it is important to beat until thickened and to add both sugar and oil in thin streams. This will ensure the cake is well mixed and the batter airy.
    • Pan: removing the cake from the pan is one of the worst moments when baking bundt cakes. But try this: butter the pan thoroughly with room t° butter (I use a brush or my fingers) and flour it, shaking off excess. And then put it in the fridge while making the batter. Pour the batter directly into the cold pan. It makes all the difference.
    • Keeping: this cake freezes wonderfully, well wrapped. Defrost at room t°.
    • Flavorings: this is a base recipe, but you can flavor it with citrus zest, liquors, and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon or ginger.
    • Glaze: a simple powdered glaze always works wonders both for flavor and for keeping. The glaze keeps the poppy seed cake's moisture sealed inside longer.
    • Serving ideas: use it as a pound cake and serve it sliced with whipped cream and berries. Or use it as a base for a trifle recipe, such as this Strawberry Trifle.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1/10
    • Calories: 575
    • Sugar: 51.9 g
    • Sodium: 156.5 mg
    • Fat: 25.5 g
    • Carbohydrates: 81.5 g
    • Protein: 7.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 59.5 mg

    Keywords: poppy seed cake, poppy seed bundt cake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Juliana says

      August 17, 2019 at 1:33 pm

      Love poppy seeds on baking items, what a great combination!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. angiesrecipes says

      August 07, 2018 at 11:17 am

      I love that smooth tender crumb. The cake looks lovely!

      Reply

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    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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