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

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