Orange Layer Cake

Ingredients

• Makes (1) 15x10-inch jelly roll cake,
• cut into layers

Citrus Cake

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)

Orange Curd Layer

• 1/4 cup fresh orange zest (2 oranges)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces , at room temperature
• (Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

Frosting

• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1 cup (2 sticks)butter
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoon orange blossom extract

Directions

Cake

1. Heat the oven to 375F.
2. Grease the bottom and the sides of a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and one by one, add the 3 eggs followed by the lemon extract.
4. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together. Slowly fold the flour mixture alternately with the milk and orange juice into the batter.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.
6. Leave to cool completely.
7. Sprinkle powder sugar on top of the cake, cover with a cutting board and turn. This way you’ll be able to remove the cake form the pan without breaking it into pieces or sticking to the cutting board.
8. Remove the parchment paper, and cut cake into 3 slices. Let cool.

Orange Curd

1. Zest your orange. Squeeze the oranges.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. You only need the yolks for this recipe.
3. In a heat proof bowl, combine the orange zest, juice, sugar and salt and stir together.
4. Select a pan to fit the heat proof bowl and put about two inches of water in it. Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to simmer.
5. Put the heat proof bowl with ingredients already in it into the pot with the heated water.Whisk in the egg yolks.
6. Let this cook for about 7-10 minutes, whisking while it is cooking. Once the mixture thickens you can remove it from the hot water pot.
7. Whisk in the butter pieces, one at a time until all the butter is in the curd. Strain the curd through a strainer to remove the zest pieces.
8. Keep the orange curd refrigerated.

Frosting

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth and no lumps of sugar are visible. Add the orange blossom extract and beat until combined.

Assembly

1. Place (1) cake piece onto a serving plate.
2. Spread a layer of the orange curd onto the cake.
3. Top with a thick layer frosting, spreading carefully and gently so you do not mess up the curd layer. Repeat, layering to the top.
4. Chill in refrigerator for 2-3 hours before cutting.