Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Baking the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for 30 seconds and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the milk, vegetable oil, concentrated orange juice, orange extract, and orange zest. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and softened cream cheese and mix at medium speed until smooth.
- Gradually add the sugar and mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack before turning out.
Making the Frosting
- For the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, mix the softened butter on low to medium speed until softened and smooth.
- Add the softened cream cheese to the butter, mixing at low to medium speed until smooth and well combined.
- Add the vanilla and orange flavorings.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.
- Continue to mix until well combined and smooth.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Assembling the Cake
- Once the cake layers have cooled, place the first cake layer on a cake pedestal and spread with orange cream cheese frosting.
- Top with the next layer and repeat.
- Top with the third cake layer and frost with a thin layer of frosting.
- Freeze the cake for 10 minutes before applying the final layer of frosting.
- Decorate as desired.
Nutrition
Notes
Using fresh, room-temperature ingredients, especially eggs and cream cheese, helps achieve a lighter, airier cake full of flavor. Let the layers cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
