Description
Silky orange vanilla bean cake brings Mediterranean sunshine to your dessert table. Delicate crumb and fragrant citrus notes create a luxurious experience you’ll savor with each elegant slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 16 ounces (453g) cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons orange zest (from 2–3 oranges)
- 1 tablespoon orange extract (10g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (8g)
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice (from approx. one medium orange)
Dry and Supplementary Ingredients:
- 7 cups (805g) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder (7g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
- 1 teaspoon salt (5g)
- Orange coloring gel (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by heating to 350°F (175°C) and preparing three 8×2 inch round cake pans with grease and flour coating.
- Combine dry ingredients including cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, creating a uniform powder mixture.
- Create a liquid mixture by whisking sour cream, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla bean paste, and orange extract until thoroughly integrated.
- Cream softened butter in a mixer until smooth, then gradually incorporate sugar while mixing for 3-5 minutes until the texture becomes light and airy. Introduce orange coloring if desired.
- Carefully add eggs individually, ensuring complete integration after each addition.
- Gradually fold flour and liquid mixtures into the butter base, alternating between dry and wet ingredients, starting and concluding with dry ingredients. Mix minimally to maintain cake’s delicate texture.
- Distribute batter evenly across prepared pans, smoothing surfaces with a spoon for uniform layers.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, monitoring doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and checking for clean removal.
- Allow cakes to rest in pans for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Prepare frosting by beating butter until smooth, then incorporating cream cheese until well blended.
- Integrate vanilla bean paste, orange extract, and salt into the butter mixture.
- Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, mixing on low speed until achieving a creamy, homogeneous consistency. Optional orange coloring can be added at this stage.
- If frosting appears too soft, briefly refrigerate to achieve ideal spreading consistency.
- Assemble cake by layering frosting between each cake tier, creating a stable multi-layered structure.
- Apply a thin crumb coat across the entire cake surface, then chill for 15 minutes to set the initial frosting layer.
- Complete the cake decoration by adding a final, smooth frosting layer, optionally creating textural elements with an offset spatula.
- Preserve cake in an airtight container within the refrigerator, allowing 2-3 hours of room temperature resting before serving to restore optimal texture.
Notes
- Select room temperature ingredients for the best cake texture and even mixing.
- Use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to achieve a lighter, more delicate crumb.
- Zest oranges carefully to capture the most fragrant outer layer without including bitter white pith.
- Check cake doneness early to prevent overbaking, which can lead to dry results.
- Rest cake layers completely before frosting to ensure stable and clean cake assembly.
- Allow chilled cake to warm up before serving to enhance flavor and frosting spreadability.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 685
- Sugar: 68 g
- Sodium: 267 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 93 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg