Spiced Layer Cake With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Thoroughly grease and flour inside of a 3D lamb cake pan. , In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on high speed just until stiff but not dry. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites., Gently transfer to bottom half of mold (the bottom half is the face of the lamb). Place top mold (back of lamb) on top, interlocking seams (make sure half with vent hole is on top to permit steam to escape). Place on a baking sheet., Bake until a toothpick inserted in vent hole comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Frost cake. Attach sprinkles for eyes and nose; sprinkle body with coconut. If desired, decorate with additional coconut and jelly beans.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cakes: Coat two 9-inch round pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt; set aside.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs and orange zest, and beat on medium-high speed, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the molasses and baking soda. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil over high; pour it over the molasses and baking soda and whisk until combined. (The mixture will froth.)
• Beat in a third of the flour to the butter mixture on low until combined, then half the cider mixture. When it's blended, add half the remaining flour, all the remaining cider, then the rest of the flour, beating to blend after each addition. Batter will be runny.
• Divide the batter between the pans, swiveling the pans to level the batter, which will be scant. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, rotating halfway through. Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then unmold and transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool fully.
• Prepare the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix briefly. On low speed, add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. After all the sugar is incorporated, scrape the bowl, then beat the frosting on medium-high for 15 seconds.
• Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Top with 1 cup frosting, and spread it to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Top with a smattering of crystallized ginger bits, chocolate pearls or sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days) before serving.

Steps:

• Make Filling
• Whisk sugar and yolks in heavy large saucepan to blend. Whisk in cornstarch and orange peel. Gradually add orange juice and cream, whisking to blend well. Set pan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until cream thickens and boils, about 8 minutes. Pour into bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.
• Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in pastry cream, 1 cup at a time, scraping bottom and sides of bowl occasionally. Cover; refrigerate until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Make soaking syrup and frosting
• Stir 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Immediately add 1 1/4 cups orange juice and peel (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any hard bits dissolve and caramel comes to boil. Strain into 2-cup glass measuring cup.
• Pour 1 cup caramel into small bowl; reserve for frosting. Mix remaining 1/2 cup orange juice into remaining caramel in glass measuring cup; reserve as soaking syrup. Cover caramel in small bowl and soaking syrup separately; refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 cup caramel reserved for frosting, then powdered sugar and vanilla. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. If necessary, let stand at room temperature until just spreadable before using.)
• Make cake
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 12-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment paper. Butter paper; dust pan with flour.
• Bring 1/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon butter to simmer in small saucepan. Remove pan from heat; add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Cover pan. Sift 1 1/3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer at high speed, beat 3 eggs in large bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in 1 1/3 cups sugar. Continue to beat egg mixture until light colored and thick enough to fall in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes. Pour milk mixture over egg mixture. Using whisk, gently stir until just blended. Add flour mixture. Gently stir with whisk until just blended (do not over mix; batter may deflate). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack; cool 10 minutes.
• Line cake rack with paper towels. Dust towels generously with powdered sugar. Cut around pan sides; turn cake out onto sugared towels. Peel off parchment. Cool cake completely.
• Repeat 2 more times, using same amount of each ingredient to make 2 more cake layers.
• Assemble and decorate
• Place 1 cake layer on 11-inch tart pan bottom; brush with 1/2 cup soaking syrup. Spread with half of filling (about 3‰ cups). Place in freezer until filling is firm, about 15 minutes. Top with second cake layer; brush with 1/2 cup soaking syrup. Spread with remaining filling. Place in freezer until filling is firm, about 15 minutes. Top with third cake layer; brush with remaining soaking syrup. Spread 2 cups frosting thinly over top and sides of assembled cake to cover completely. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 1 hour.
• Spoon 1 cup frosting into pastry bag fitted with small (scant 1/4-inch-diameter) star tip. Spread remaining frosting smoothly over top and sides of cake. Pipe frosting in bag decoratively on top and sides of cake. (Can be prepared ahead. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, at least 5 hours; cover loosely and keep refrigerated up to 1 day. Or freeze until frosting is firm, about 2 hours; cover and keep frozen up to 1 week. Defrost covered cake in refrigerator for 2 days.)
• Place cake on large platter. Arrange fruit decoratively atop cake. To cut cake, start 2 inches inward from edge and insert knife straight down; cut 8-inch-diameter circle in center of cake. Starting 2 inches in from 8-inch-diameter circle and inserting knife straight down, cut 4-inch-diameter circle in center of 8-inch circle. Cut outer portion of cake into 16 slices. Cut middle portion of cake into 8 slices. Cut inner 4-inch portion of cake into 4 wedges. Serve cake.