Orange Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Hello folks! Today I bring to you a light and refreshing orange cake filled with orange whipped cream. I got the recipe and decoration idea from Sweetapolita who has the most romantic and whimsical looking cakes.
 

While the original recipe has a whipped butter frosting I opted to go with stabilized whipped cream as I don't like butter based frostings. I also added a bit of orange tang to the filling as I wanted it to have a pronounced orange flavour.

Overall I was very pleased with the final outcome and would definitely make this cake again.

Recipe Source - Orange Cake and filling recipe given as is from Sweetapolita.

Ingredients

For the Orange Cake:

4 Whole Eggs (Room Temperature)

2 Egg Yolks (Room Temperature)

1 Cup (240 ml) Whole Milk (Room Temperature)

1/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (Strained)

3 Cups (345 g) Cake Flour (Sifted)

2 Cups (400 g) Sugar

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp (19 g) Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon (4 g) Salt

3/4 Cup (170 g) Unsalted Butter (cold and cut into small even pieces)

Zest from 2 Medium Oranges

 

For the Orange Whipped Cream Filling:

2 Tbsp (30 ml) cold water

2 tsp (10 ml) Unflavoured Gelatin (such as Knox brand)

2 Cups (500 ml) Whipping Cream (35-37% fat), cold

1/4 Cup (30 g) Icing Sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) Vanilla Essence

Zest from 1 Medium Orange

4 Tbsp Orange Flavored Tang (you can use any tropical flavor)

Pinch of Salt

 

For The Stabilized Whipped Cream

2 Tbsp Unflavored Gelatin

4 Tbsp Cold Water

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 Cup Icing Sugar

 

Make The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment round and dust sides with flour.
2. In a medium measuring cup with a spout, lightly break up the eggs and yolks. In a separate measuring cup, combine the orange juice and milk.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With the mixer set to low speed, add the cold butter one piece at a time, about 10 seconds apart. (You can keep half in the fridge while you add the first half of butter.) Continue mixing on low speed until all of the butter has been blended and there are no clumps. Mixture should have a fine crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
4. Gradually add the milk/orange juice mixture to these dry ingredients, and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the egg mixture; once the mixture has been added, increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute, but no more. Gently fold in the zest.
5. Divide batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans (use a kitchen scale to ensure 3 even layers--cakes should weight ~ 460 g each). Place two of the cake pans on a baking sheet and bake until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs but no batter, about 23 minutes. Repeat with the final layer. Let the layers cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then loosen sides with thin metal spatula or knife, and carefully turn out onto wire racks, peel of the paper liners, and let cool completely.

 

Make the Orange Whipped Cream Filling

1. In a small stainless steel bowl, place the cold water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 cup of the cream just to a simmer, then stir into the gelatin mixture until the gelatin has dissolved. Refrigerate, stirring frequently, until cool but not set, about 8 minutes.
2. In a chilled stainless steel mixer bowl with a chilled whisk attachment, beat the remaining whipping cream, icing/confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt until it thickens just slightly and soft peaks begin to form, about 1 minute. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form (should be thick enough to spread). Fold in zest and tang powder. Keep covered and chilled until ready to use.

Make the Stabilized Whipped Cream

 

1. Place the gelatin in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat on low heat till the gelatine is completely dissolved. Keep aside to cool but make sure that it does not set.
2. In the bowl of stand mixer place the whipping cream (chilled) and whip till soft peaks are formed. Add the cooled gelatin and whip till stiff.

Assemble the Cake

 

1. Trim the tops of all three cake layers. Place one cake layer on a cake board and add 1/2 of the filling. Repeat with two more layers.
2. Using the stabilized whipped cream crumb coat the cake and place in fridge to chill.
3. Tint the remaining whipped cream into colours of your choice and frost the cake completely. For the pastel swirl technique and video please check this post on Sweetapolita.

Happy Eating !!