Poppy Seed Tea Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Icing
5 from 1 vote
Experience the zesty delight of this Gluten-Free Poppy Seed Tea Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Icing. A symphony of citrus flavors meets the delightful crunch of poppy seeds. Moist and tender, thanks to the luscious vegan cream cheese icing, this cake is the perfect companion to your morning or afternoon tea.
1–2 tsp - 5–10 ml cold unsweetened oat milk, if needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 370°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease an 8 x 4–inch (20 x 10–cm) loaf pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Dust with flour, shaking off any excess.
To make the cake, mix the flours, xanthan gum, poppy seeds, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix the orange juice, oat milk, oil, citrus zest and vanilla well to combine. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and mix using a spatula or wooden spoon.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely before adding the cream cheese icing.
To make the icing, add the butter to a bowl. Give it a good mix using a wooden spatula until it becomes creamy. Add the vegan cream cheese and confectioners' sugar and mix vigorously, until the sugar is dissolved and the icing becomes smooth.
In a separate cup, smash the fresh raspberries and mix them with the lemon juice and half of the orange zest, keeping the other half for decorating the cake. Strain the raspberry mixture through a fine sieve then mix the puree with the vegan cream cheese mixture. Add the cold milk to make the icing more liquid, if needed.
Pour the icing over the completely cooled loaf cake and decorate with the reserved orange zest. Slice immediately, or refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the icing to harden.
Notes
This cake will keep for 2 to 3 days, refrigerated, stored in an airtight container. Keep in mind that it tends to get drier after the first 2 days.
In this recipe, the xanthan gum helps thicken and hold the gluten-free baked good together. It also keeps it from becoming too crumbly. I don't recommend skipping this ingredient.