Orange Cake

Yield: 1 - 9" layer cake

Cake layers (creaming method)

430 g cake flour
1 Tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
440 g sugar
280 g unsalted butter, room temperature
5 eggs
1 Tbs orange zest, remove zest before juicing the oranges
112 g orange juice, squeezed from the oranges you just zested
168 g whole milk

Method

1. Preheat deck oven to 350 degrees. Grease and parchment line two 9" round cake pans.  Grease the top of the parchment.
2.  Sift the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a Kitchenaid mixer, beat the butter with the paddle for a minute, add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
5. Mix in the orange zest and juice.
6. On low speed, add the flour 1/3 at a time alternating with the milk.
7. Divide batter into the two pans, level and bake about 25 minutes.
8. Cool briefly in the pan before unmolding onto a wire rack.

 

Filling

150 g granulated sugar
25 g cornstarch
⅛ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp orange zest
225g orange juice, (squeeze orange you zested and get rest from refrigerator)
42g lemon juice
42g water
5 egg yolks

Method

Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl.  Sift the sugar, salt and cornstarch over the top of the yolks. Whisk to a smooth paste. In a small stainless steel pan, heat the orange juice, lemon juice and water to just under a boil. Temper the egg mixture with the hot juice. Return all to the pan and cook until the mixture is clear, thick and boiling. Remove from heat and add the zest.  Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic directly on the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Cool till needed.

 

Orange Syrup

75g water
60 g orange juice
100 g sugar
14g orange liqueur

Bring the water juice and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, add the liqueur and cool to room temperature.

Orange Buttercream (Swiss meringue method)

225 g sugar
6 egg whites (pasteurized)
28 g water
454 g unsalted butter, softened
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp orange extract
14 g orange liqueur

Method

1. Combine the sugar, egg whites and water in the bowl of a Kitchenaid mix. Heat over a double boiler, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches 125 degrees.
2. Remove from heat and place the bowl on the mixer. Whip the egg whites on high until they are thick, fluffy and cool.
3. Add the butter 1 oz at a time while whipping.
4. Stir in the extracts and liqueurs and then whip on high until fluffy.

 

Cake Assembly

1. If the cake layers are mounded, slice with a serrated knife to even them out. 
2. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly moisten the cake with the orange syrup.
3. Spread the filling on the bottom layer and spread evenly.
4. Brush the top layer with syrup and place with the bottom side up atop the first layer.
5. Ice the top and sides of the cakes with buttercream.
6. Mark the cakes into 16 portions each and pipe a small rosette on each slice.