Orange Celebration Cake-Sort Of

I changed the filling and frosting from the original recipe (Better Homes and Gardens Pies and Cakes, 1966) but used the cake recipe. I did use all butter rather than half shortening, which I think was a good decision. Danny's not wild about citrus, but combined with bittersweet chocolate, he's a bit more receptive to it. Besides, I needed the peels of two oranges to candy. Oh the suffering I make that child endure with fancy cakes and such.

The centre filling is just a simple cream cheese frosting-perfect as I was running low on butter, and had half a packet of cream cheese already open.

The ganache recipe makes quite a bit-the extra can be removed from the pan, and chilled to make truffles (or eaten by the spoonful standing over the sink at 3AM-I won't rat you out).




For The Cake:

2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (I used a tablespoon)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup orange juice

Grease and lightly flour 2 9 inch pans. Set aside. preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and orange peel. Slowly add the sugar, and beat until well incorporated and light. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Add, alternating with the orange juice. Do not over-mix.

Pour into prepared pans, and bake 25-30 minutes (more or less) or until cakes test done. Cool ten minutes in pan on rack, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

For The Cream Cheese Filling:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups sifted confectioner's/icing sugar

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until light. Add vanilla, mix well. Beat in the sugar slowly until you reach a spreading consistency. If it gets too thick, extra whipping on high speed with a hand mixer usually solves the problem, but you can also add a few drops of milk, or more extract.

For The Ganache:

Fill the cake with centre layer and chill well before coating in ganache.

In a large, heat resistant bowl combine 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped. Set aside. In a saucepan, heat 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup. When steaming, pour over chocolate and let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Add any extracts, oils, brandy, flavourings, you like at this point. Set the chilled cake on a rack over a rimmed pan. Pour and spread, working quickly and carefully to make sure the sides get coated. I use a butter knife, but an offset spatula is nice if you have one. When it stops dripping, remove it to the fridge, pan and all until set. Scrape off excess from pan and roll into balls for truffles. Coat as you like (cocoa, sanding sugar, etc.)