Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

Categories: Cakes - Frosting - Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• Fresh Orange Curd:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 cups fresh orange juice (about 4 lbs. navel oranges)
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
• 3 cups Pecan- Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• Glazed Pecan Halves:
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until blended.
2. Combine flour and soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition Sit in 1 cup flaked coconut.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a wooden peck inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
5. Spread 3/4 cup chilled Fresh Orange Curd between layers; spread remaining Fresh Orange Curd on top of cake. (The curd layer on top of the cake will be very thick.) If desired, loosely cover cake, and chill 8 hours. (Chilling the cake with the curd between the layers helps keep the layers in place and makes it much easier to spread with frosting.) Spread 3 cups Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting on sides of cake, reserving remaining frosting for another use. Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted coconut over top of cake, if desired. Arrange Glazed Pecan halves around top edge of cake, if desired. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Arrange Boxwood Garland around top of cake, if desired.

6. Fresh Orange Curd:

7. (reconstituted orange juice can be used, but won’t taste as good as fresh)

8. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart

9. saucepan; gradually whisk in fresh orange juice. Whisk in lightly beaten eggs. Bring to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly.

10. 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. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on curd, and chill 8 hours.

11. Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting:

12. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth; stir in pecans.

13. Glazed- Pecan Halves:

14. Combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring to coat pecans. Line a 15 × 10-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil; coat with cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves in an even layer in pan.
15. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes; stir using a rubber spatula. Bake 8 more minutes. Remove from oven, and stir; arrange in an even layer on wax paper, and let cool completely.

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