In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and orange zest. Rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingertips first helps release more of the orange oils, giving you a more fragrant loaf.

Add the eggs and vanilla essence, and whisk until well combined and slightly lighter in colour.

Pour in the cold amasi, sunflower oil, and orange juice. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix — a few small lumps are fine and will work themselves out in the oven.

Fold in the poppy seeds.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then lift it out using the baking paper overhang and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. This step matters — frosting a warm loaf will cause the frosting to melt and slide right off.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, light, and fully combined, with no lumps remaining.

Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, mixing on a low speed to start (to avoid a sugar cloud), then increasing the speed once it's incorporated.

Add the vanilla essence and orange juice, and beat until the frosting is smooth, fluffy, and holds its shape.

Fold in the poppy seeds by hand, distributing them evenly through the frosting.

If the frosting feels too soft to spread or pipe, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to firm up slightly.