Orange Cake With Zesty Cream Cheese Frosting

A three-layer cake with whipped cream cheese and buttercream icing with a spicy orange taste. A smidgeon of summertime!

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 3 ¾ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons orange extract (optional – can substitute with another teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• Orange slices, sage leaves, white and orange sanding sugar for garnish

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (if unavailable, you can substitute vanilla extract)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 3 8-inch straight-edge cake pans, greased Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and oil it.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing basin. Whisk everything together until it’s perfectly smooth.
3. Cream butter, sugar, and orange zest in a standing mixer or a large mixing basin until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. On high speed, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract, and orange essence for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as required.
5. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture on low speed until barely incorporated.
6. Pour in the buttermilk and orange juice, mixing on low speed until barely mixed.
7. Fill greased layer pans evenly with batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean. Set aside for at least one hour to cool on a wire rack, or the frosting may melt.

MAKE THE FROSTING

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). 3 greased 8-inch straight-edge cake pans Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil it.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until completely smooth.
3. In a standing mixer or a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract, and orange essence together for about 2 minutes on high speed, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. On low speed, whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture until barely combined.
6. Mix on low speed until the buttermilk and orange juice are barely combined.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

1. Place one of the cake layers flat side down on a plate or cake stand after the layers have cooled. Spread roughly 1 cup of frosting over the top using an offset spatula.
2. Spread 1 cup of frosting on the second layer and place it on top of the frosted layer.
3. To make the cake even, add the last layer, flat side up. Use the leftover frosting to lightly frost the rest of the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill.
4. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Orange slices, sage leaves, and orange and white sanding sugar can be used as garnish.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, or until the frosting has hardened.
6. Refrigerate the cake for 4-5 days if securely wrapped.

Notes

• The cake layers may be made the night before! Allow to cool on a wire rack before covering with plastic wrap (still in the cake pans) and chilling until ready to construct the cake the next day.

Source: Aberdeen’s Kitchen

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