Tag: cake

Chocolate Yule Log

Merry Christmas, friends! This year, for a Christmas Eve party with people very dear to me, I made a heap of cookies, a pan of brownies, and this Yule log. It’s a slight variation on the classic French buche de noel, using a chocolate cake and cream cheese filling recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens Baking book, plus my standard chocolate buttercream on the outside. It was delicious, and a massive hit.

While my Yule log suffered a few cracks during the rolling/unrolling process, the cream cheese filling I chose literally filled in the cracks and instead of seeping out, set beautifully while it chilled (tightly wrapped in the fridge) overnight. I chose to dress my Yule log up with some “soil” made from crumbled brownies and mushrooms made with banana stems and strawberry caps. Next time, I’ll go for some rosemary for that fir-like look…because I will absolutely make this again.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 whole eggs, at room temperature*
  • 4 egg yolks, at room temperature*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup sugar

*Yes, you need a total 8 eggs for this, 4 whole and 4 just the yolks. Reserve the 4 whites you’re not using and make them into meringue cookies (which can be shaped like mushrooms for embellishing the log if you wish) or macarons if you like. 

For the filling

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
  • About 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting and decoration

  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 10x15x1 jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

Sieve together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Place a clean, thin kitchen towel next to your oven and generously dust it with powdered sugar; this is where you’ll flip your cake onto for rolling once it’s baked.

In a mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla together on high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating for an additional 2 minutes. Add flour mixture one-third at a time, folding gently to just combine; make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of your bowl so you don’t have surprise pockets of flour.

Pour batter into jelly roll tin and smooth out the top. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when touched (be very careful not to over-bake here). Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 3 minutes; loosen the sides and flip the cake out onto the towel dusted with powdered sugar; remove parchment paper and immediately roll up starting at the short side. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Once the cake is cool, make your filling. In a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat on low, allowing the sugar to fully incorporate into the butter/cream cheese mixture; this will take a few minutes. Beat in vanilla extract.

Carefully unroll your cake and spread with filling; re-roll, place seam-side down, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for about 30 minutes (or overnight) before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar  and cocoa powder and beat on low speed until the sugar and cocoa are fully incorporated into the butter; this takes a few minutes. Add vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining heavy cream if necessary; you want a smooth consistency.

Unwrap the log and place it on your serving plate; frost using a small offset spatula, creating a bark-like pattern on the outside and ends. If desired, crumble up brownies for soil and place around the log; add strawberry banana mushrooms. There are lots of other ideas for embellishing Yule logs; I’ve listed a few below. Serve immediately; store any leftovers in the fridge (because cream cheese filling needs refrigeration).

Here’s a close-up of the inside of the log, and some ideas for embellishment:

Bake meringue cookies in the shape of mushrooms and add them to the outside of the log. I’m pretty sure this is what Martha Stewart does!

Bake lace cookies or Florentines, break them into pieces, and stick them along the sides – this will also look like fungi.

Pipe mushrooms or sprigs of pine with buttercream (see my tree trunk cake here).

Create mushrooms using Hershey’s Kisses for the caps and marshmallows for the stems.

Set sprigs of rosemary along the sides, which look like pine, and dust with powdered sugar to look like snow.

Spice Bundt Cake

Once again, my reliable Bundt cake recipe came through with a delicious result. Last fall I made a cinnamon version, and I wanted to mix in some additional autumn spices for this recipe. The mix below is technically pumpkin spice, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, but you could go with whatever blend you choose. Apple pie spice (which includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) would be a good option as well.

For the icing, I went with apple cider as my liquid, and I’m not sure it made much of a difference. You could easily substitute with water or milk if you prefer.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract

For the icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons apple cider

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and butter extract. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to completely combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, butter extract, and 1 tablespoon cider; add enough additional cider to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a very long time.

Creamsicle Layer Cake

Creamsicle – that amazing combination of orange and vanilla – is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve made many treats in this classic flavor, including creamsicle cupcakes, creamsicle cut-out cookies, and creamsicle pound cake, all with rave reviews.

This creamsicle layer cake is a twist on a lemon blackberry cake I made many years ago, and it was delicious. I’m only sorry I didn’t take a photo of the top before I cut it, because I piped on some lovely orange flowers that sort of reminded me vaguely of the truffula trees from The Lorax.  Just one thing to note: the method of mixing the cake might seem odd, but it’s a real technique called “reverse creaming,” where you combine the dry ingredients first, then slowly mix in the butter before adding the wet ingredients. The goal is to create a more tender crumb, which this cake definitely has. 

Ingredients

For the cake 

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 orange juice
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • zest of 2 cara cara oranges
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • scant 1/8 teaspoon fiori di sicilia (or 1/4 teaspoon orange extract)
  • 12 tablespoons butter, slightly softened but still cool, cut into pats 

For the frosting

  • 1 1/4 cups (20 tablespoons, or 2 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 
  • 4 1/2 – 5 cups powdered sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons orange juice
  • scant 1/8 teaspoon fiori di sicilia
  • Orange and green food coloring

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, then grease the parchment and lightly flour the pans.

In your stand mixer, combine the sugar, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; beat for 30 seconds to combine. 

In a glass measuring cup, combine eggs, milk, vegetable oil,  orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and fiori di sicilia. Whisk to combine; set aside while you add your butter in the next step.

 With the mixer running on low, add butter to the dry ingredients one pat at a time, until the mixture looks like coarse sand. 

Add half the egg mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes, then scrape down the bowl and add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating for about 30 seconds after each.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat butter and powdered sugar on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and fiori di Sicilia, beating to combine completely. If necessary, add another tablespoon of orange juice – you want the consistency to be pipable, so not too soft or too stiff.

Reserve about 1/2 cup of frosting and tint it orange; reserve another 1/4 cup and tint it green. The rest of the frosting can remain white. 

To assemble and frost your cake, place one cake layer on your serving plate. Frost the cake to just shy of the edges so your frosting doesn’t squish out when you place the second layer on top. Top with the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake to create as smooth a surface as you can. 

To make my design, I used the Wilton 5 small plain tip to pipe flower stems of various heights, then used the Wilton 21 medium star tip to pipe various sizes of flowers. I used the Wilton 352 leaf tip to add leaves and grass. I also piped a border of flowers around the bottom of the cake and added a leaf every few inches. 

Once frosted, store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Makes about 9 servings, depending on how thick your slices are. 

Almond Bundt Cake

The latest adaptation of my amazing poppy seed cake comes in a simple almond version, but it’s incredibly delicious. I’ve made this recipe in so many flavors, but neglected almond (one of my faves) until now, and it turned out very well.

The next time I make this, I plan to pair it with a fudgy chocolate icing like on this vanilla version; I feel like that would make a great flavor combination, because chocolate and almond are good flavor friends. Stay tuned!

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon butter extract
For the icing
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and extracts. Stir in flour in three batches, mixing to combine completely.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and 1 tablespoon water; add enough additional water to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for at least a few days.

Orange Pound Cake

This pound cake recipe is my go-to Bundt recipe. I’ve made it as a poppy seed cake (the original, which I found at Taste of Home and apparently won grand champion at the North Dakota state fair, not that I’m surprised), a lemon cake, a lemon poppy seed cake (which somehow I managed not to blog…stay tuned), a creamsicle cake, a vanilla cake with fudge icing, and this, an orange cake, for this year’s Mother’s Day. I’m a wee bit behind on the blog posts.

Anyway, I use cara cara oranges when I bake, which are sweeter, but you can use regular navel oranges if that’s all you can find. And while I think you can find orange extract in most grocery stores, mine comes from Penzeys in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Also, don’t skip the butter extract in this recipe; it adds amazing flavor to the cake.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
  • zest of 2 medium oranges

For the icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large, 4-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, orange extract, and orange zest. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to completely combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons orange juice; add enough additional juice to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a very long time.

Creamsicle Pound Cake

creamsiclepoundcakeThe Good Humor Creamsicle is one of the best ice cream desserts around, an awesome combination of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet. Now that summer is here (well, technically not until a few weeks from now, but it’s June so let’s go with it), I wanted to bake something inspired by this classic summer treat. Enter the creamsicle pound cake.

Full disclosure: I baked two versions, one with a different recipe and one with the recipe below. The recipe below turned out better – it’s yet another riff on my poppy seed cake, this time with orange zest and fiori di sicilia, a very potent citrus/vanilla extract (of which a little goes a very, very long way) in the batter. If you don’t have fiori di sicilia, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract instead; the flavor won’t match exactly, but it’ll be close enough.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fiori di sicilia
  • zest of 1 medium orange 

For the icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • scant 1/8 teaspoon fiori di sicilia
  • 3-4 tablespoons orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large, 4-cup glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, fiori di sicilia, and orange zest. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to completely combine.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, fiori di sicilia, and 2 tablespoons orange juice; add enough additional juice to make a thick but pourable icing. Pour over cake and allow to drip down the sides. Allow icing to set before serving.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a very long time.

White Almond Cake

almondcakeWhite almond cake is a classic, but many of the recipes I found online were the three-layer variety. As a person who doesn’t have three round cake tins (why exactly, I don’t know), I wanted a simple two-layer option and found this recipe at Sally’s Baking Addiction. It’s a basic white cake, but I made it into an almond version for my mom’s (early, because my brother and nephew were in town) birthday celebration this past weekend.

I added strawberry buttercream between my two layers, but wish I’d gone with a much thicker layer of it – it tasted delicious, but there just wasn’t enough. The cake itself is delicious and really tender, so I’ll absolutely make it again. It seems like a great base cake for other flavor ideas, so stay tuned.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 5 egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

For the strawberry buttercream

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 to 1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • About 2 tablespoons fresh strawberry puree, to taste*

For the almond buttercream and decoration

  • 1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons almond extract
  • 2/3 cup flaked almonds, toasted and cooled

*The more puree you add, the thinner your buttercream will become, so add sparingly along with additional powdered sugar to make a soft, but sturdy buttercream. 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round baking tins with baking spray, line with parchment circles, and spray the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes, until fluffy; scrape down the bowl a few times. Add egg whites and beat on high to combine, then beat in sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. With the mixer running on low, slowly add dry mixture until just incorporated, then add milk. Don’t over-mix; once you’ve added the milk, turn off your mixer and finish incorporating everything by hand.

Divide batter evenly between the cake tins; bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely in the baking tins.

Once cakes are cool, make the buttercreams. For the strawberry, beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, then add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add strawberry puree and beat to completely combine; set aside until you’re ready to assemble the cake.

To make the almond buttercream, beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, then add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla and almond extracts and beat to combine completely.

To assemble, place one cake layer on your serving plate; pipe a circle of almond buttercream at the edge of the cake and fill with strawberry buttercream; this will keep the strawberry from leaking out when you cover the cake in the almond buttercream. Top with the second cake layer, then frost the top and sides with the remaining almond buttercream. Press toasted flaked almonds up the sides of the cake.

almondcakesideA view from the side, with toasted flaked almonds on display. 

Vanilla Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

vanillabundtwithchocolateglazeFor me, finding a great recipe is like a gift from the universe. This vanilla Bundt cake is adapted from my poppy seed cake recipe, which I traditionally bake as a condolence gift when someone loses a loved one. The lemon version is my celebration cake, baked for births and birthdays and other happy occasions. I’ve also made an orange version, and now vanilla with a traditional chocolate glaze. It kind of reminded me of a chocolate-glazed cake donut, a classic, delicious treat.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
  • 1 teaspoon butter extract

For the glaze

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt tin.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and extracts. Stir in flour in three batches, mixing to combine completely.

Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth; pour over cake and allow to set before serving.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days; this cake stays moist for a long time.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

guinnesschocolatecakeHappy St. Patrick’s Day, friends. What better way to celebrate the feast day of Ireland’s famous patron saint than by baking a cake with Guinness, Ireland’s famous stout?

I’ve baked a lot of cakes in my life, and this one is among the absolute best. It has great texture – very soft and fluffy – with a hint of stout against the chocolate. I adapted the original recipe from fellow baking blogger Baker By Nature to include a simple Bailey’s glaze, rather than buttercream and whiskey caramel…though that would have been delicious, too. If you’re having a Guinness today in honor of St. Patrick (and you should), enjoy.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 8 ounces Guinness
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray, the kind that has both flour and oil in it.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, brown sugar, flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, Guinness, oil, milk, and vanilla together; add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Batter will be very thin and bubbly.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean (mine was done at 45 minutes). Remove from oven and cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir powdered sugar and Bailey’s together; place in a piping bag and pipe over the cake. Allow the glaze to set before cutting. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Easter Blossom Cake

orangecake1It’s Easter Sunday, but it’s 35 degrees in Pittsburgh this morning. Spring is an unpredictable season here in western Pennsylvania – it could be 75 and beautiful or 28 and snowing, all in the span of a few days. Mother Nature will do what she likes, and we all have to just go with it.

I like to think Mother Nature would enjoy this cake, not only for its buttercream blossoms but also its flavors. The cake itself is orange, with vanilla buttercream and a mixed berry filling. I didn’t feel like making my filling from scratch, so I heated up about 1/2 cup mixed berry preserves, then combined about 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch with a few teaspoons of water to make a slurry. I stirred the slurry into the preserves and simmered it for about 8-10 minutes to thicken it, then cooled it in the fridge before using it.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 Cara Cara orange
  • 6 tablespoons milk

For the frosting, filling, and decoration

  • 1 cup butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Bonne Maman mixed berry preserves, thickened*
  • Pink, yellow, fuchsia, and green gel food coloring

*To use preserves as a cake filling, place 1/2 cup preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine about 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water to make a slurry, then stir into the preserves. Simmer until thickened – the mixture will reduce as it cooks. 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 6-inch round cake pans, line each with a parchment circle, and lightly grease the parchment.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until very well-blended. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest and beat well to combine, scraping the sides of your bowl a few times.

Add flour and milk alternatively in two batches, beginning and ending with the flour and beating until completely combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 18-22 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: in a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and beat on low, then medium speed, until the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter. Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes. You want a spreadable consistency, but not so soft that your flower petals won’t hold their shape.

Place bottom layer of cake on your cake stand or plate and pipe a border just inside the edge of your cake; fill with thickened preserves. Top with the other cake and frost top and sides, covering with an even layer of frosting. Reserve a small portion of white frosting for flower details and another small portion for leaves; tint the remainder of your frosting to your desired shades and pipe flowers to create your design; I used roses, rosebuds, and five-petal flowers, then chilled them until they set before placing them on the cake. I then used two different sizes of closed-star tips to fill in the gaps with the other blooms and added leaves.

Store cake in an airtight container in the fridge; bring to room temperature before serving. Makes about 4-6 servings, depending on your slice size.

Here’s an overhead view of the cake, for a complete view of the flowers:

orangecake2