Orange Curd Cake

Orange curd is something a little different, that people say "oh! that sounds like it would be good" but most people probably haven't made or had it. I could be wrong though. I know I don't see it often (or make it often). Lemon curd is delicious and has paved the way for other curds such as orange or even lime. Lime curd is really really good. I bet this cake would be delicious with lime curd in the middle and lime zest in the cake and frosting. The frosting on this cake is a cream cheese frosting and it adds a nice tang to the flavor. There aren't to many cakes I make where I think about them in the refrigerator and how I want to eat a piece then an hour later...I want another piece, then an hour later...

This cake is one of those cakes. I don't know what it is, maybe it's the fresh orange curd, maybe it's the not to sweet flavor, maybe it's the softness of the cake. I have tried a lot of desserts as this blog can begin to attest to, just think of all of the stuff I made before I even started this blog that I have no pictures of but I happily baked and ate and saved the recipe. This cake sticks with me though. It's 9:30 in the morning and I'm saying to myself, maybe I should have a piece of cake. Yeah, probably not the best breakfast but so good.

I would like to talk about the orange curd a little though. I was over on Cookistry about a month ago and she posted a lemon curd recipe that is made in microwave. I thought to myself "this is so exciting, a microwave curd!" So I tried the lemon curd about two weeks ago and it was delicious and I didn't even completely follow the recipe (dare I say it). I was lazy and didn't soak the zest in the juice. I'm sure it would have an even better flavor but it was already pretty great.

So I had some egg whites and thought this cake might be delicious and that curd might be delicious in it. I was right, so so right. Yes, I would like more please. I cut the curd recipe in half and altered it a tiny bit. All of the orange curd you make in this recipe will be used in this cake so there won't be any left over. If you would like to try the original recipe there's a link at the bottom of this post under the "Printable recipe" link. I encourage you to try it :) Happy Baking!

Orange Curd Cake

Ingredients:

Orange Curd

- ¼ cup orange juice

- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

- ½ cup powdered sugar

- 1 egg

- zest of ½ orange

Cake

- 1 cup + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

- ½ cup + ⅓ cup sugar

- ½ teaspoon baking powder

- ¼ teaspoon salt

- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 2 large egg yolks

- 3 tablespoons sour cream

- ¼ cup milk

- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

- 3 large egg whites

Frosting

- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

- 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. For curd: Heat butter for about 30 seconds in a microwave safe dish to melt. Add orange juice and sugar, stir. Cook for about 1 minute and 15 seconds then stir again. In a food processor, process egg for about 10 seconds then slowly add in the hot orange mixture while the processor is running. Once blended pour the mixture back into the microwave safe dish and heat about 1 minute and 30 seconds, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool. If desired, cover the curd with plastic wrap directly on the curd so a skin won’t form and place in refrigerator.    

2. For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8” diameter cake pans with 1 ½” sides. Sift flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk oil and egg yolks in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in sour cream, then milk, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk in dry ingredients in 3 additions.

3. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ⅓ cup sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry; fold into batter in 4 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans.

4. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on a platter. Set aside 2 tablespoons of orange curd and spread the rest on the cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Cover; refrigerate assembled cake.

5. For frosting: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, then 2 tablespoons orange curd. Spread frosting over cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; refrigerate.)

Printable recipe

The cake and frosting are adapted from Epicurious and the curd is adapted from Cookistry 

This recipe may be linked up to:

· Inside BruCrew Life - Trick or Treat Tuesday's

· Crazy For Crust - Crazy Sweet Tuesday’s

· Mrs. Fox's Sweets - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party 
· Sweet as Sugar Cookies - Sweets for a Saturday

· A Pinch of Joy - Busy Monday Link Party 

· House of Hepworth's - Hookin up with HoH 

· Cups by Kim - Sweet & Simple Sunday  

· Couponing & Cooking - Mealtime Monday 

·  Grateful Belly - What's New Wednesday

· What's Cooking, Love? - Showcase Your Talent Thursday 
· Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo - Anything Goes Linky
· Dwell on Joy - Dwell on Friday 
· Six Sister's Stuff - Strut Your Stuff Saturday