Aunt Vernas Orange Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of three 10-inch round cake pans and three 6-inch round pans; dust with flour, and tap out the excess.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and orange zest.
• Transfer the creamed mixture to a very large mixing bowl, then alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a large whisk or spatula, adding the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2, starting and ending with the flour, just until smooth.
• Divide the cake batter among 6 different bowls and color each with a different rainbow color using gel food coloring. Add 1 color batter to each of 6 large pastry bags without tips. Add the batter evenly to all the pans by snipping the ends of pastry bags and piping into the center of each pan with 1 color, then repeating with the remaining colors, taking care to always pipe the batter directly into the center of the pan.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs sticking to it, 20 to 30 minutes (the 6-inch cakes will be closer to 20 minutes; the 10-inch cakes will be closer to 30). Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.
• For the American buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla if using, and salt. Whip the mixture on low speed for a while. When the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer speed up and whip until the buttercream is smooth and looks right to you. It it's too wet, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it's too stiff, add a bit more butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl once or twice to make sure everything is combined.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Rewhip cold buttercream before using it.
• For the royal icing: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip most of the confectioners' sugar with the egg whites and lemon juice. Whip until the royal icing holds its shape and is bright white (not translucent), 5 to 8 minutes. If it is too soft, add more confectioners' sugar. If it is too stiff, add a bit of water, drop by drop. Add a few drops of food coloring and keep whipping until you have the shade you want.
• To store royal icing, scrape it out of the bowl and into a plastic, disposable piping bag, then leave it at room temperature. (Don't cut the bag until you're ready to use it, and don't overfill the bag¿you want enough room to tie the back of the bag off to keep the royal icing airtight.)
• To assemble the cake: Use a serrated knife to level off the tops of any cakes that may have domed during baking. Place a 10-inch cake layer onto a cardboard cake board and spread about 3/4 cup buttercream in an even layer on top. Top with another 10-inch cake layer and repeat until all 10-inch layers are stacked. Use the buttercream to spread a thin even crumb coat on the side and top of the cake. Repeat this process with the 6-inch layers and place both cakes in the fridge so the frosting sets, about 30 minutes.
• Roll 3 pounds fondant into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Drape over the top of the 10-inch cake and use a fondant smoother to adhere and smooth the sides and top. Use a paring knife to make a small "x" in the top of the cake to remove any air trapped inside as you smooth the fondant. Use a pizza cutter to trim the excess fondant from the bottom of the cake. Repeat this process with the 6-inch cake using the remaining 2 pounds fondant.
• Into the center of the 10-inch cake, insert 5 large wide plastic straws straight down through to the bottom (these will support the 6-inch cake on top, so make sure the straws are arranged in a circle no bigger than 6-inches in diameter). Trim the straws with scissors so they are flush with the top of the cake. Stack the 6-inch cake on top of the 10-inch cake. Fit a small round tip onto the pastry bag with the royal icing, then pipe a border along the bottom of both cakes. Adhere dragees in a scattered pattern all over the cake using tiny dots of royal icing. Roll a small piece of fondant and cut as many leaves as you like, then adhere to the cake with a tiny dab of water or royal icing. Sprinkle the entire cake with edible glitter.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides, then dust with sugar and flour.
• Beat the eggs with the sugar to pale yellow ribbons. Beat in the milk, oil and orange zest. In a small bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture a tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until middle of cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove cake from oven, let cool slightly on a rack, then invert and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: Use a sharp paring knife to cut the orange rind off the orange used for zest and the remaining orange, leaving the bitter white pith on the orange. Cut the skin into very thin strips and reserve. Cut away and discard the white pith, remove the orange supremes, and reserve.
• In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, sugar, and thin orange strips. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until a thick syrup. Strain the syrup and reserve the orange strips, along with 1/2 cup of the syrup. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake, then pour the warm strained syrup all over the cake so that it soaks through.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup syrup in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and reduce to a few tablespoons. Use a spatula to spread the thick glaze over the top of the cake. Place cake on a serving platter, and arrange the reserved orange strips and orange supremes on top of the cake.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan bring cream to the beginning of a boil. Remove from cook top. Add chocolate (in chunks). Stir until completely combined. Cool to room temperature before filling cakes. Set aside to cool.
• For Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour cake pans of choice. Melt chocolate and set aside to cool to room temperature. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy (about 4 minutes on medium). Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until thick and creamy (about 6 minutes on medium). Add chocolate on low and mix until combined. Wisk dry ingredients together. Add 1/3 dry ingredients alternately with 1/3 sour cream beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add boiling water and mix only for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and mix the rest by hand. Immediately pour into pans 2/3 full. Bake until tester comes out clean in center of cake, about 30 minutes for 9-inch round, more or less for other size cake pans. Cool for 1/2 hour before removing cakes from pans. Wrap in plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator. When totally cold, unwrap cakes and fill with chocolate ganache.
• For Orange Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour cake pans of choice With a zester, zest the orange part of the peel of a fresh orange but do not zest the white section of the peel. Measure 4 tablespoons. Combine yolks, 11/2 cups milk and extracts. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients in mixer and mix on low. Add 21/2 cups of milk, orange juice, butter and orange zest to dry ingredients and mix on low for 2 minutes. Beat on high for an additional 3 minutes. Turn mixer to low and add yolk mixture in 3 batches, mixing for 40 seconds on low each time. Fill buttered and floured cake pans 1/2 full. Bake until tester comes out clean and center springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans for 20 minutes.
• To assemble: Layer cake as follows: 1 layer chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, 1 layer orange cake, chocolate ganache, 1 layer chocolate cake. Frost as desired.