At the job I currently work at I am in a kitchen all day making desserts and salads. I work at a ball park, so when the team plays a game, we work. The chef of said kitchen has a birthday coming up, and I thought surprising her with a birthday cake would be a great way to celebrate before we went on our next break. After brainstorming with my friend Abbie and scouring the net, cookbooks, and magazines, we thought a dreamsicle cake would be perfect.
This cake is an orange one I found on Food Network's site. It's soaked in orange simple syrup to keep it nice and moist. It is iced with a super easy Martha Stewart buttercream recipe. And a perfect complement to orange, I topped the cake with beautiful, fresh raspberries.
The surprise was well taken, and the whole staff loved the cake.
Orange Cake from Food Network
Ingredients
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Zest of 1 orange, minced
• 1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Syrup:
• 1 orange
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
Directions
1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides, then dust with sugar and flour.
2. Beat the eggs with the sugar to pale yellow ribbons. Beat in the milk, oil and orange zest. In a small bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture a tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until middle of cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove cake from oven, let cool slightly on a rack, then invert and cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: Use a sharp paring knife to cut the orange rind off the orange used for zest and the remaining orange, leaving the bitter white pith on the orange. Cut the skin into very thin strips and reserve. Cut away and discard the white pith, remove the orange supremes, and reserve.
5. In a large saucepan, combine the orange juice, sugar, and thin orange strips. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until a thick syrup. Strain the syrup and reserve the orange strips, along with 1/2 cup of the syrup. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top of the cake, and then pour the warm strained syrup all over the cake so that it soaks through.
6. Place the remaining 1/2 cup syrup in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer and reduce to a few tablespoons. Use a spatula to spread the thick glaze over the top of the cake. Place cake on a serving platter, and arrange the reserved orange strips and orange supremes on top of the cake.
Vanilla Buttercream Icing from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Food coloring (optional)
Directions
1. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high).
2. Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (If refrigerated before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth.)
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