Description
A delicious orange-flavored cream cheese cake perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup orange zest (from about 4 oranges)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 drops orange food coloring gel (optional)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 6 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup orange juice (strained to remove pulp and seeds, from about 4 oranges)
- 12 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 pod vanilla bean (scraped OR 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
- 5 cups powdered sugar (plus more for decoration)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 bottle orange food coloring gel
- 1 bottle green food coloring gel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two or three 8-inch cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and orange zest. Beat together to release the fragrant oils in the orange zest.
- Add the butter and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Optionally, add 2 drops of food coloring gel.
- Pour in the oil and beat once more.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg whites, and strained orange juice.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and, alternating between the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients, add them to the butter/sugar mixture until the batter is relatively smooth.
- Divide the batter among the prepared baking pans and smooth it out until it reaches the sides. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
- In a mixer bowl, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the butter and beat for about 10 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat for a full 2 minutes for fluffy frosting.
- Divide about 1/4 cup of frosting into two bowls. Color one orange and one green using food coloring.
- Transfer the orange frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #3 round piping tip and the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #1 round piping tip.
- Add the frosting to the top of the cake, smoothing it out into an even layer.
- If desired, top with sprinkles or create orange frosting rounds and pipe leaves for decoration.
- Store the cake at room temperature and covered for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
- The cake can be covered with plastic wrap or stored in a colander if you don’t have a glass cake cover.
- This cake stays delicious for about 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 60mg