Recipes Made with Cake Mixes
Orange Ombre Cake
The eye-catching trend of ombre has spread from fashion to desserts. In this ombre cake, the cake layers as well as the frosting are tinted in gradations of orange. It's a perfect cake for all sorts of celebrations.
Prep: 45 min | Bake: 35 min | Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix*
- 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Orange Extract
- McCormick® Yellow Food Color
- McCormick® Red Food Color
Frosting
- 2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 (16 ounce) boxes confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cake
- Prepare cake mix as directed on box, using whole eggs. Stir in extracts.
- Divide batter evenly into 3 medium bowls.
- Stir 24 drops (about 1/4 teaspoon) yellow food color and 12 drops red food color into first bowl, tinting batter dark orange.
- Stir 10 drops yellow food color and 4 drops red food color into second bowl, tinting batter medium orange.
- Stir 5 drops yellow food color and 1 drop red food color into third bowl, tinting batter light orange.
- Pour each bowl of batter into separate greased and floured** 8-inch round cake pans.
- Bake as directed on package.
- Cool cakes on wire rack.
Frosting
- Beat butter and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating well after each addition and scraping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add milk; beat until light and fluffy.
- Place dark orange cake layer on serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. Top with medium orange cake layer. Spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. Top with light orange cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with a thin layer of frosting.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, divide remaining frosting into 3 small bowls. Stir 12 drops yellow food color and 6 drops red food color into first bowl, tinting frosting dark orange. Stir 6 drops yellow food color and 3 drops red food color into second
bowl, tinting frosting medium orange. Stir 3 drops yellow food color and 1 drop red food color into third bowl, tinting frosting light orange.
- Frost bottom third of cake with dark orange frosting. Frost middle third of cake with medium orange frosting. Frost top third and top of cake with light orange frosting.
Notes
* 18.25 ounce boxes of cake mix have been replaced by 16.5 ounce and 15.25 ounce boxes. To compensate for the volume loss in a 16 ounce box, whisk 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the dry cake mix before proceeding with the recipe. To compensate for the volume loss in a 15.25 ounce box, add 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.
** For best results, use our Pan Release!
For easier measurement, 1/4 teaspoon food color = 20 to 25 drops
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories: 590 Cholesterol: 95mg Sodium: 429mg Protein: 2g Total Fat: 30g Fiber: 1g Carbohydrate: 78g
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
McCormick