Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake
Yield: about 4 cups Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting; 2 cups Glazed Pecan Halves
You'll need to start this Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake a day ahead because the Fresh Orange curd must chill for 8 hours.
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.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter, 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)
Fresh Orange Curd
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh orange juice (about 4 pounds navel oranges)*
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
* 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.
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
Glazed Pecan Halves
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- Vegetable cooking spray
Instructions
- Cake: 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 extract; 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.
- Fresh Orange Curd: 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: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans.
- Glazed Pecan Halves: 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.
Source: Southern Living
