Friday, April 13, 2007

RECIPE of the Day - 4/13/2007


If you like oranges, you will love this cake. It has a wonderful orange flavor that is subtly complemented by the almonds and almond extract. The orange buttercream is more detailed than a regular buttercream, but it is well worth the time and effort. You can feel good about serving this cake on most any occasion - it truly is superb.


Orange Almond Cake with Orange Buttercream

3/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 large eggs, separated at room temperature
1 medium orange peel, grated
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans and refrigerate. Adjust rack to lower-middle of oven. Heat oven to 350 degree F. Pulverize almonds in a blender with 3 tablespoons sugar until finely ground. In a mixer bowl, beat the egg yolks at medium-high speed and gradually sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar. Beat 1 minute at medium-high speed. Once the mixture has turned thick and pale yellow, beat in the orange rind and juice, the pulverized almonds, and the almond extract. Sift and slowly beat in the flour.

2. In a clean mixer bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks with the salt and cream of tartar. Sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and continue beating to stiff shiny peaks. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the batter, then delicately fold in the rest.

3. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are springy and the sides pull slightly away from the pans, about 20 minutes. Set pans on wire rack and let cool 20 minutes more. Run a small knife around the edges of the pans to be sure the cakes are loose, then invert the pans on the rack, giving a gentle but sharp shake to dislodge the cakes. Let cool completely.

4. Make syrup. In a small saucepan simmer water and sugar until sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in orange flavored liqueur. Brush tops of cake layers liberally with syrup.

5. Make buttercream. In an electric mixer beat egg yolks until light and thick. In a small saucepan heat sugar and water. Bring to a boil, washing down any sugar crystals that cling to the sides of the pan and cook until syrup turns to the soft ball state (and registers 238 degree F on a candy thermometer), about 5 minutes. With the mixer running pour the hot syrup into the yolks in a thin stream while beating. Beat until cool, about 3 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time (the mixture will start to look curdled but that's ok). Keep going). Add liqueur and vanilla extract and beat well. Cover and chill until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes. To assemble cake, arrange one cake layer on a cake plate. Frost top with 1 cup of buttercream. Gently arrange second cake layer on top of buttercream and frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.
490 calories per serving.

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