Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake recipe
Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake recipe
Source: Southern Living
You'll need to start this cake a day ahead because the
Fresh Orange curd must chill for 8 hours.
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Fresh Orange Curd
3 cups Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (optional)
Glazed Pecan Halves (optional)
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric
mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg
yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add vanilla; beat until blended.
Combine flour and baking soda; add to sugar mixture
alternatively with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour
mixture.
Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
Stir in 1 cup flaked coconut.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks
for 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire
racks.
Spread 3/4 cup chilled Fresh Orange Curd between layers; spread
remaining
Fresh Orange Curd on top of cake. (The Fresh Orange Curd layer
on top of cake will be very thick.) If desired, loosely cover
cake and chill 8 hours. (Chilling the cake with the curd between
the layers helps keep the layers in place and makes it much
easier to spread the frosting.) Spread 3 cups Pecan-Cream Cheese
Frosting on sides of cake, reserving remaining frosting for
another use. Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted coconut over top of cake,
if desired. Arrange Glazed Pecan Halves around top edge of cake,
if desired. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Arrange
Boxwood Garland around bottom edge of cake before serving, if
desired.
NOTE: Cake may be frosted with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting
immediately after adding the Fresh Orange Curd, but the cake
layers will not be as steady.
Fresh Orange Curd
You can substitute reconstituted orange juice for fresh; however
squeezing navel oranges only takes about 15 minutes and can
make all the differences in this cake's fresh flavor.
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups fresh orange juice (about 4 pound navel oranges)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Combine sugar and cornstarch in 3-quart saucepan; gradually
whisk in fresh orange juice. Whisk in lightly beaten eggs. Bring
to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly.
Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture
reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat, and whisk
in butter and grated orange rind. Cover, placing plastic wrap
directly on curd, and chill 8 hours.
Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer
until creamy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, beating at l
ow speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth;
stir in pecans.
Makes about 4 cups.
Glazed Pecan Halves
2 cups pecan halves
1/3 cup light corn syrup
Vegetable cooking spray
Combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring to coat pecans.
Line at 15 x 20-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper or
aluminum foil; coat with cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves
in an even layer in pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes; stir using a rubber
spatula.
Bake 8 more minutes. Remove from oven, and stir; arrange in
an even layer on wax paper, and let cool completely.
Makes 2 cups.
Grant me the Serenity to prioritize things I cannot delegate, the Courage to say No when I need to,
and the Wisdom to know when to go home.
~Sylvia
