Poppy Seed Angel Food Cake
A Poppy Seed Angel Food Cake is all dressed up with just a little icing glaze and a sprinkling of sliced almonds. It is perfect for parties and special occasions!
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 Servings
(Tap or Hover to Scale Servings)
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 Box Angel Food Cake Mix, 16 ounces
- 1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Poppy Seed
Glaze & Topping:
- 1 ½ Cups Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Teaspoon Almond Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- ¼ Cup Sliced Almonds
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
- Prepare the angel food cake according to the package’s direction, except remove 1 teaspoon of water from the measured water and replace it with 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Add the poppy seeds during the last few seconds of beating the cake mix.
- Spoon the batter into an ungreased 10” x 4” tube pan and run a knife through the batter to disperse air pockets.
- Bake the cake for ⏲️35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the cake is dark brown and dry to the touch.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it onto a ceramic cup or glass bottle. The cake must hang upside down as it cools for the best texture.
- When the cake has cooled, run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and around the center hole to help release the cake from the sides of the pan. Remove the cake from the sides of the pan and run a knife between the cake and the bottom of the pan to completely release the cake.
- Set the cake on a serving dish. To help keep the serving dish clean and neat while glazing the cake, place small overlapping pieces of parchment paper just under the outer edges of the cake.
Glaze and Topping:
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, ½ teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons water to a small bowl. Stir well.
- Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds.
- Remove the pieces of parchment paper and your cake is ready to display!
- Serve and Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
My Top Tips
♥ SQUEAKY CLEAN BOWL AND BEATERS - The bowl and beaters must be absolutely free of any fat or oils. This allows the mix (or egg whites, if making the cake from scratch) to beat up high and light.
♥ DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR - I know you will be tempted to see how the cake is doing as it bakes. But, please, don't open the oven door! Opening the oven door can cause the oven temperature to suddenly drop and the cake might not properly rise. Wait until the minimum baking time has elapsed to take a peek.
♥ BAKE UNTIL DONE - A brown top that is dry to the touch is a signal that the cake is truly done. Insert a long tooth pick or cake tester into the cake if you are uncertain if it is done. It should come out without any batter clinging to it (clean and dry).
♥ COOL UPSIDE DOWN - After the cake is removed from the oven, it needs to be inverted so that the cake hangs upside down as it cools. This keeps the cake from collapsing. You can use a heatproof bottle, glass, or mug. Just make sure the cake is fully suspended and does not touch the counter.
♥ EXTRA BEAUTY WITH LUSTER DUST - You can make this cake extra beautiful and festive by using a small amount of pearl white or silver luster dust. Just place the sliced almonds into a plastic sandwich bag with a very small amount of the luster dust, close the bag and gently shake it to coat the almonds. Now the almonds will have a subtle shimmer that will give your cake a lovely glow.
Variations
♥ MAKE THE CAKE FROM SCRATCH - This cake can also be made from scratch using my Angel Food Cake, which is found in the "Angel" column in my Basic Cake Recipes Chart. Simply substitute almond extract for one half of the vanilla extract and add the poppy seeds. Then make the glaze as listed in the instructions and finish the cake with sliced almonds.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
