Almond & Orange Buttermilk Cake

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Ingredients:

Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
grated zest of 2 oranges (blood orange or cara cara oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice

Frosting options, both are fantastic!

Option 1:

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter (2 stick), room temperature
2 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces melted white chocolate
6-7 cups of confectioners' sugar

Option 2:

Orange Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup half & half
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
4 ounces Lindt Intense Orange Dark chocolate, melted

Your butter should already be room temperature before starting. From the fridge pull out the eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream so these can start to warm up to room temperature. By the time you get to use them, 15-20 mins or so, they'll be brought up to temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour dust your cake pans to prevent sticking. Recipe makes 3 8" cakes or 2 9" cakes.

1. Zest 2 oranges and add to the granulated sugar. Mix together with a spoon until the sugar takes on an orange tint and fully combined.

2. In the mixer bowl, add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the orange sugar mixer and beat on medium high heat for approximately 5-8 minutes until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, sour cream, and orange juice. Set aside.

5. Returning to the mixer, slowly add one egg at a time. I find it helpful to break the eggs into a bowl prior to dumping into the mixer to avoid possible egg shells. Mix together until the 4 eggs are fully combined with orange sugar butter mixture.

6. Turn mixer off and remove mixing bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture and then the buttermilk mixture, folding and mixing carefully before adding each mixture. Mix together well but do not whip the batter as you don't want to get air into the cake batter.

7. Pour evenly into cake pans and smooth the tops before placing in oven. Bake for 25-35 mins depending on oven temperature accuracy and cake pan size. Less time for smaller pans, more time for the 9" pans.

8. When the toothpick test comes out clean your cakes are done. Allow to cool 20-30 mins before removing to a cake rack for full cooling, about 2-3 hours.

Time to Frost
1. Regardless of whether you go with the white chocolate cream cheese frosting, or the orange chocolate buttercream, both require melting the chocolate which I like to do over a double boiler.

Fill a cookpot with water and place a heat proof bowl with the chopped chocolate on top. Cook until chocolate is fully melted. You'll need to add small pats of butter along the way to help the chocolate melt and give it a smooth silky texture.

2. In your stand up mixer, add the room temperature ingredients and blend until smooth. Slowly add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.

3. You may need to put the frosting in the fridge to firm up a little, but not too much as it needs to be spreadable, to frost.

* Frosting tip: Chill cake layers quickly in the freezer (5 mins or so) before frosting. Proceed to start layering the cake layers with frosting. Do a primer layer of frosting on the outside of the cake to seal in the crumbs. Place the cake in the fridge to chill and slightly harden before adding the 2nd, more decorative layer of frosting. This will allow you to have more control with the frosting and get a smooth or rustic look to your cake as you decorate.

Cake recipe & Chocolate Orange Frosting adapted by blog - www.unegaminedanslacuisine.com

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