Orange Poppy Seed Cake

A recipe by Theresa Williams. She calls it "the best cake in the world." Its delicious!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 8  tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
• 4  eggs
• 2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup poppy seed
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  oranges, zest of, grated

• orange glaze

• 1⁄2 cup  fresh orange juice
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F Grease 10-inch bundt pan (or two small loaf pans).
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Mix well after each addition.
4. Fold in poppy seeds, vanilla and grated orange zest. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
5. Set on middle rack of oven and bake for 50-60 minutes (less time if baked in loaf pans), or until edges shrink away slightly from sides of pan and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a cake rack.
6. When cake has slightly cooled, prick holes in it 1 1/2 inches apart with a long toothpick and pour the *Orange glaze evenly over top. Serve warm. Disposable loaf pans work great for this, as the pans hold all the glaze and keep the cake moist.
7. *Orange Glaze.
8. 1/2 cup fresh orange juice.
9. 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
10. Combine orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms.