Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake
- Ready In:
- 8hrs 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 27
- Serves:
-
16
ingredients
-
Cake
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1⁄2 cup shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (orange only)
-
Orange Curd
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups fresh orange juice (About 10 large oranges to get two cups of juice)
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granted orange zest (orange only)
-
Glazed Pecans
- 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves
- 1⁄3 cup light corn syrup
-
Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and choppped
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cold
- 1⁄4 cup shortening
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
-
Garnish
- 1⁄3 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
directions
-
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2, 9-inch round pans and line with parchment paper.
- Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.
- Whisk together flour, soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture alternately with milk, begginging and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in one cup flaked coconut and grated orange rind.
- Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks or remove from pans, wrap in foil and store in the freezer until ready to use.
-
For the Orange Curd:
- Combine sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucepan; gradully whisk in fresh orange juice. Whisk in lightly beaten eggs. Bring to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and grated orange rind. If the mixture ends up with pieces of cook egged in it, simply push it through a very fine mesh sieve with the back of a large spoon in to a bowl. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on curd and chill for at least 8 hours or until ready to use.
-
For the Glazed Pecans:
- Combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring to coat pecans. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves in an even layer in pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Stir using a rubber spatula and bake 3 minutes more. Remove from oven and arrange in an even layer on another piece of foil and let cool completely.
-
For the Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Butter, shortening and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in salt and vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar on low speed until creamy and well blended. Stir in pecans.
-
To Assemble:
- Split cake layer in half horizontally. Place a layer on a plate or cake stand and spread with a thin layer of frosting and then curd. Top with a cake layer. Spread with another thin layer of frosting and marmalade. Top with third cake layer and spread again with frosting and marmalade. Top with final cake layer and frost sides and top of cake with the remaining pecan cream cheese frosting. Garnish with glazed pecans and toasted coconut. Serve with remaining orange curd.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
gailanng
United States
I'm just me, mother, grandmother...friend to many and a Louisianian. My Cajun and French Quarter Italian descent afforded me exposure to some of the best of foods. My passions are my family, decorating, cooking and gardening. Those very passions push me into constant awareness with always looking for something new to delight the senses, thus my favorite idiom...Inspire me, puuuullllllleeeeeeease! ...and I mean it, too. God Bless America!