Posted on by Deb

Fresh Orange Cake with Blood Oranges

Fresh Orange Cake with Blood Orange

All the Citrus

Blood Oranges

“The whole country’s changing, Adam said. People aren’t going to live the way they used to. Do you know where the biggest market for oranges in the winter is?”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Sweet and savory lemon recipes are always part of my baking and cooking. Other citrus recipes need prompting. I almost missed the season for blood oranges this year. Instead we have cake! In my stash of want-to-make recipes I found Fresh Orange Cake with Orange Butter Cream Frosting from Family Circle, March 1971. I gave it a try with blood oranges.

Essentials

Frosting Blood Orange Cake

I fretted that the cake itself would be an odd color of violet and planned on the frosting being lavender in color. Instead we have naturally pink frosting! The trend for a naked cake (some or no frosting on the sides) works well when the flavor of the cake can be overpowered by too much sweet frosting. The ratio of cake to frosting works well in this citrus cake. The delicate blood orange did not get lost in too much sweet buttercream. This cake was a little denser than I would have liked, still good though. (I’m told that I am my own worst critic.) Could be my technique, the old recipe with new ingredients, or even the chemistry the blood oranges brought to the recipe. And I did swap out shortening with butter. I found similar recipes on-line, but not the exact one I used. While the season lasts, enjoy all the citrus you can.

Fresh Orange Cake
3C cake flour
1T baking powder
1t fine grain sea salt
3/4C unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2C sugar
3 eggs
1T finely grated orange zest
1/2C fresh orange juice
2/3C whole milk
Orange Buttercream Frosting
1C unsalted butter, softened
1/4t fine grain sea salt
4t finely grated orange zest
2 lbs powdered sugar
1/3C – 1/2C fresh orange juice
1 orange, cut in tiny slices (optional)
  1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease two 9” round cake pans. Place 9” parchment circles in the bottom of the pans and grease them too.
  2. In a medium sized bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugar together until the butter is pale yellow in color, 3-5 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the butter and sugar are throughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix in completely. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after mixing in each egg. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture and orange juice alternately in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter into the prepared pans.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, the cake with have pulled away from the edges of the baking pan and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out cleanly when the cake is finished baking. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then invert the cakes unto a rack to cool completely. When completely cool the cake is ready to frost. The cooled cakes can be wrapped, individually, in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator to frost the following day. A cake that has been chilled overnight rarely needs a crumb coat.
  5. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter until is it is pale yellow and creamy. Add the salt and orange zest, mix together to combine. Add half powdered sugar and mix together on very low speed. Add half the orange juice and mix again. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed. Add enough orange juice until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
  6. Place one cake in the center of a cake stand, right side up, and frost with a cup of the frosting. Place the other cake, right side up on top of the bottom layer. Frost the sides and top of the cake. For a naked cake, use an off-set spatula to remove most of the frosting from the sides of the cake. A large open star tip can be used to decorate the top of the cake. If desired, nestle tiny slices of orange in the piped decoration.

Fresh Orange Cake with Blood Oranges

Blood Oranges

Fresh Orange Cake with Blood Oranges

28 Replies to “Fresh Orange Cake with Blood Oranges”

  2. I did a blood orange polenta cake recently and I am amazed at how different our recipes are! This looks so beautiful with its deep frosting layers and pretty piping work. Lovely, Deb xx

  3. We share a love of citrus, and this cake is simply stunning — as are the blood orange images. I love the idea of an orange cake — how utterly delicious!

  6. Deb, as I have confessed on more than one occasion, I have a secret (or not so secret) love affair with blood oranges. Oranges in general steel my heart when it comes to baked goods – danish, sweet rolls, scones, CAKE, you name it. I’ll be remembering this one for future baking!

  8. Umm – well – I would eat your “dense” cake any day of the week. It looks lovely and citrus in any baked good, as far as I’m concerned, is just heaven right here on earth! Lovely as always Deb.

  9. It looks really pretty Deb! Perfect for spring! Interesting what you say about old recipes and new ingredients… me and my Mum are convinced that the flour is different to years ago and her old recipes just don’t taste like they used to. Enjoy your citrus season! 🙂

    1. Thank you Cathy! Yes I am sure the varieties of wheat have changed over the decades. I can’t taste the difference, although I imagine you can. I wonder if they perform differently too?

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