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Milk and Honey
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When looking for a light, flavorful cake, try using a sponge cake recipe. Favorite flavored syrups drizzled on the otherwise potentially dry cake add a unique character and flavor to each cake. Such syrups typically have liqueurs added. To save money (and avoid alcohol), use frozen fruit juice concentrates; the cake will be delicious. Such a deal!
For the orange cake recipe, the challenge was: To make a small batch of buttercream frosting and put the leftover egg yolks to good use in the same recipe. Professional bakers make up large batches of buttercream frosting, which is convenient, as the whites can whip up so nicely in larger quantities. But this is not typically convenient for the home baker! So this recipe is for a smaller quantity, and the addition of a chocolate-orange filling uses up the egg yolks. Yield: Another candidate for the Best Cake Recipes category!
Swiss or Italian?
One popular buttercream frosting recipe: Swiss Buttercream Frosting, which depends on well-heated egg whites and sugar (heated to 140-150 degrees), to get volume and fluffy goodness. Another popular frosting is Italian Buttercream Frosting, which calls for a sugar syrup, heated to 248 degrees, to be whipped into the beaten egg whites. One one particular cooking adventure, my sugar syrup went just past the right temperature, creating a golden frosting that I added coffee extract to and called "Mocha Buttercream". It was good, if not what I was shooting for. Either way, it's a delicious frosting.
Orange Cake Recipe with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs total (4 for the cake, plus 2 whites and 2 yolks for frosting and filling)
- 3/4 c. plus 1/2 c. sugar
- 3/4 c. flour
- 1/4 c. plus 1/2 c. plus 1/4 c. butter, room-temperature
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. plus 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 TBS. honey
- 1-2 TBS. orange juice (or water)
Sponge Cake Recipe
For a good sponge cake, it's important to start with "warm" eggs. My mom leaves the whole eggs out overnight, giving them a good head start. Stir the eggs and sugar together (and continue stirring occasionally), letting the mixture sit in mixing bowl in a toasty place until it has warmed some more: > 4 whole eggs > 3/4 c. sugar
Meanwhile, melt butter in microwave, then let it cool off: > 1/4 c. butter
To butter, add: > 1/4 tsp. salt > 1 tsp. vanilla
Measure flour, sifting (if you have a sifter): > 3/4 c. flour
Prepare pan. Ideally, an 8 1/2" springform pan works well, although a regular cake pan can work too. Butter the pan, add a wax paper circle to the bottom, butter again, and dust with flour.
When egg/sugar mix has warmed, whip until tripled in volume (some chefs say to start on lower speed, increasing speed to high after a few minutes). When tripled in volume, gently fold into the mixture: > The 3/4 c. flour (sifted if possible)
Last, gently fold in: > The melted 1/4 c. butter
Fold batter out into the baking pan; bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Refrigerate the cake to let it cool.
Chocolate Filling
Microwave until melted: > 1/4 c. butter > 1/2 c. chocolate chips
In a separate bowl, stir: > 2 egg yolks (reserve the egg whites in a mixing bowl, for the frosting, below)
Pour the melted butter/chocolate mix into the yolks, stirring well. Let chill, then whip the whole mixture until lightened.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
For the frosting, stir together in a mixing bowl: > 2 egg whites > 1/2 c. sugar
Set the mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water, taking care not to overheat the egg white/sugar mixture. Continue stirring the mixture regularly, letting it warm up to 140-150 degrees.
Meanwhile, microwave until melted: > 1/2 c. butter
To melted butter, add: > 1/2 c. chocolate chips
Stir the butter and chocolate together until smooth; refrigerate mixture, stirring occasionally to keep it smooth. Don't overcool it, or it will be too hard to mix back into the frosting.
When the egg white/sugar mix has warmed to 140-150 degrees, begin mixing it on high speed in a free-standing mixer, until tripled in volume.
To the whipped egg white/sugar mixture, gradually add: > The somewhat-cooled mixture of butter and chocolate
Use the Buttercream Frosting on the prepared cake, after cutting the cake into layers and adding the orange syrup and chocolate filling.
Orange Syrup
Microwave a few seconds, until melted: > 1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate > 1 TBS. honey > 1-2 TBS. orange juice (or water)
Assembling Cake
Cut cooled cake into 3 layers. Spread each layer with some of the orange syrup. Spread some of the whipped chocolate filling in between the layers, stacking layers, and frosting with the buttercream frosting. Enjoy!
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