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Ingredients
Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose
flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking
soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)
butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon orange zest
Orange Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 1/2 cups
confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/4 cup plus 1
tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
Directions
Heat oven to 350°
F.
In a medium mixing bowl,
whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set
aside.
In an electric mixer
bowl, add butter and sugar and beat until smooth and
creamy, stopping once to scrape sides and bottom of
bowl. Add 1/2 of the flour and
mix just until blended. Add buttermilk, vanilla and
orange zest and mix again just until blended. Add
remaining flour and mix until thoroughly blended and
smooth.
For a 2-layer cake, pour
equal portions of cake batter into 2 greased
9-inch-round cake pans. For a 3-layer cake, pour
equal portions of cake batter into 3 greased 8 or
9-inch-round cake pans. For a 4-layer cake, simply
pour equal portions of cake batter into 2 greased 8
or 9-inch-round cake pans, then cut each baked and
cooled layer in half horizontally to make 4 layers. If you are making a sheet
cake, pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch
rectangular cake pan.
Before baking, smooth cake batter with a
rubber spatula or butter knife if necessary to
flatten batter so cake rises as evenly as possible
over entire top.
Bake cake according to times
specified below:
2-layer cake: 25-30 minutes
(bake in 2 pans)
3-layer cake: 20-25 minutes
(bake in 3 pans)
4-layer cake: 25-25 minutes
(bake in 2 pans, then cut each cake in half
horizontally after baked)
Sheet cake: 45-50 minutes
(bake in 9x13-inch rectangular cake pan)
Note: Oven
temperatures may vary, so watch cake closely toward
end of baking time, and bake just until a toothpick
inserted into center of cake(s) comes out clean.
Allow cake to completely cool
before applying frosting.
Orange Frosting
Place butter and
confectioner's (powdered) sugar into an electric
mixer bowl (may also be beaten with a handheld
electric mixer). Mix on low until slightly blended, then add
orange juice (or orange liqueur) and orange zest and
beat until smooth and creamy. Apply to cooled cake.
Applying Frosting
to Layered Cakes
Save and set aside the
most perfect baked cake for the top layer. If any
cakes puffed up in one spot during baking, simply cut off the
obvious mound with a bread knife (a slight amount of
rising toward the center and drooping towards the
outer sides of the cake is normal, so only cut off
the obvious mound that will not allow the cake
layers to stack easily). (Tip: The cut-off mounds
are a great way to test how the cake tastes!) Apply
frosting to each layer (about 1/8 to
1/4-inch-thick, depending on preference). Place saved top cake layer on top
of frosted layers and apply frosting, using any
swirl design you prefer. Apply frosting to the
sides, using the same swirl patter you used on the
top of cake.
If desired, garnish top
of cake (entire top or only around edges) with
finely grated orange peels (the small holes in a
cheese grater will produce nice orange peels). |
