Cranberry Glazed Orange Layer Cake
Serves
12
CAKE
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
6 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
CRANBERRY GLAZE
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
Combine cranberries and sugar in processor. Using on/off turns,
coarsely chop cranberries. Transfer mixture to heavy medium saucepan.
Add 1 cup water and orange peel and bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 2 1/3 cups, stirring
occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Cover; chill
overnight or up to 2 days (mixture will thicken).
Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting
Prepare the cranberry glaze for this lovely orange layer cake a day
ahead to allow it to firm up and chill.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with
2-inch-high sides. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter
in large bowl until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until light and fluffy, occasionally
scraping down sides of bowl. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat
in orange peel, vanilla extract and orange extract. Whisk milk and yogurt in small bowl to blend.
Add dry ingredients to yolk mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk mixture in 2
additions, beating well after each addition.
Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold
1/3 of whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Divide batter between pans. Smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes
in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn
cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store
at room temperature.)
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread top of cake with 3/4 cup Creamy
Brown Sugar Frosting. Spread 1 cup Cranberry Glaze over frosting, leaving 1/2-inch border
all around cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side down; press slightly to adhere. Spread
2 cups frosting over sides of cake. Spoon remaining frosting into pastry bag fitted with
medium-size star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. Refrigerate
until frosting is firm, about 1 hour. Spread remaining Cranberry Glaze over top center of cake.
Chill until glaze is set. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate.)
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