Description
Silky orange vanilla bean cake delights with Mediterranean citrus notes and delicate sweetness. French pastry techniques elevate this classic dessert for memories you’ll savor long after the last crumb disappears.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 7 cups (805g) confectioners’ sugar
- 16 oz (453g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream
- 3 tbsps orange zest (from 2–3 oranges)
- 1 tbsp orange extract (10g)
- 2 tsps vanilla bean paste (8g)
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice (from approx. one medium orange)
- 1½ tsps baking powder (7g)
- ½ tsp baking soda (3g)
- 1 tsp salt (5g)
- orange coloring gel (optional)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Set oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease three 8×2 inch round cake pans with flour, ensuring complete coverage.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
- Liquid Mixture Creation: Blend sour cream, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla bean paste, and orange extract into a smooth, integrated liquid base.
- Butter Transformation: Cream butter in a mixer, gradually adding sugar and mixing for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Incorporate optional orange coloring.
- Egg Integration: Add eggs one at a time, ensuring thorough incorporation after each addition.
- Batter Composition: Gently fold flour and liquid mixtures into the butter base, alternating ingredients and minimizing mixing to preserve the cake’s delicate texture.
- Pan Distribution: Evenly spread batter across prepared pans, smoothing surfaces for uniform layers.
- Baking Process: Bake for 25-30 minutes, testing doneness with a clean toothpick inserted into the center.
- Cooling Stage: Rest cakes in pans for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Frosting Preparation: Beat butter until smooth, then blend in cream cheese until well combined.
- Flavor Enhancement: Mix vanilla bean paste, orange extract, and salt into the butter mixture.
- Sugar Incorporation: Gradually add confectioners’ sugar on low speed, creating a creamy, homogeneous frosting. Optional orange coloring can be added.
- Frosting Consistency: Refrigerate briefly if frosting is too soft to achieve ideal spreading texture.
- Cake Assembly: Layer frosting between cake tiers, creating a stable multi-layered structure.
- Crumb Coating: Apply a thin frosting layer across the entire cake, chill for 15 minutes to set.
- Final Decoration: Complete cake with a smooth frosting layer, potentially creating texture with an offset spatula.
- Storage and Serving: Refrigerate in an airtight container, allowing 2-3 hours at room temperature before serving to restore optimal texture.
Notes
- Zest Selection: Use fresh, vibrant oranges with bright, unblemished skin for maximum flavor intensity and aromatic zesting.
- Ingredient Temperature: Ensure all ingredients, especially eggs and dairy, are at room temperature to promote smoother mixing and consistent cake texture.
- Mixing Technique: Minimize mixing once flour is added to prevent gluten development, which could result in a dense, tough cake structure.
- Frosting Consistency: Adjust powdered sugar and refrigeration time carefully to achieve the perfect spreadable frosting that holds shape without being too stiff or runny.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 408
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 85mg