Creamsicle Cake

Recipe below - follow along! Orange and vanilla are the key flavours in this layer cake. It's moist and not the least bit crumbly, and the cream cheese frosting handles easily and sets well, making this cake a manageable task for anyone new at assembling cakes (or for a family project with kids). It’s perfect served right from the fridge and stable enough to transport to a party.

• Recipe Information •

Makes one 3-layer, 8-inch (20 cm) cake

Serves 10 to 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Cook Time: 35 minutes

• Ingredients •

Cake:

• 3 cups (390 g) cake & pastry flour
• 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine salt
• Zest of 2 navel oranges
• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup (175 mL) fresh orange juice
• ¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange extract
• Orange food colouring gel, powder or paste (optional)

Frosting:

• 2 (8 oz/250 g) pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 to 6½ cups (780 to 845 g) icing sugar, divided
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp orange extract
• Orange food colouring gel, powder or paste
• See recipe for optional rice paper "sails"

• Chapters •

0:00 New series: Baking Wisdom!

0:43 STEP 1: Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

Lightly grease and line the bottoms of three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans. Dust the sides of the pans with flour, tapping out any excess.

0:53 Mix the dry ingredients and butter

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2:16 Add the orange zest and butter

Stir to combine the zest, then add the butter and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute.

3:54 Add the liquids and eggs

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, orange juice, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and orange extracts together. Add all at once to the flour. If using a stand mixer, switch to the whip attachment (hand beaters still work fine) and mix first on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 90 seconds, until the batter is thick and smooth. Add orange food colouring, if using.

6:33 Divide the batter among the pans and bake

Divide the batter evenly among the pans Give each pan a tap on the counter to knock out any air bubbles. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 20 minutes, then tip them out onto a rack to cool completely.

6:58 OPTIONAL: rice paper decor

Rice paper “sails” give this cake the appearance of movement. You will need three or four sheets of edible round rice paper, six or eight sheets of parchment paper, and some liquid or paste food colouring. Fill two to three pie plates with warm (not hot) tap water and add a few drops of liquid or paste food colouring to each. Crumple up a few pieces of parchment paper and set them on baking trays or cooling racks. Submerge a sheet of rice paper in the water until it softens, about 30 seconds. Carefully lift the rice paper from the water and lay it across the crumpled parchment. Repeat with two to three more sheets. Allow the rice paper to air-dry, uncovered, for 24 hours, then peel away parchment.

9:21 STEP 2: Frosting

Using electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and half the icing sugar on low speed, increasing to medium speed until combined and not too soft.

10:23 Add remaining icing sugar, and tint to a pale orange with colouring

10:48 Assemble

Place a cake layer onto a cake wheel or platter. Cover the top of the cake generously with frosting and spread to level it. Set the second cake layer on top and repeat, covering the top of it with frosting. Place the final cake layer on top, and enough frosting to cover the cake in a level layer. Spread frosting on the sides of the cake to cover and fill in any gaps. The cake should not be visible through the frosting. Chill the cake for an hour before decorating.

12:56 STEP 3: Decorate

Divide the remaining frosting into three bowls. Leave one as is. Tint one bowl a medium orange and the other a darker orange. Use an offset spatula to smear patches from all three bowls onto the side of the cake, leaving space between these smears. Use the same offset spatula or a cake or bench scraper to spread the frosting into a smooth layer while you spin the cake: blending the coloured patches will give the frosting a watercolour effect.

14:35 The results!

Press the rice paper “sails” onto the decorated cake. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.