Serves 12-16
Fruity and fabulous – this fresh orange cake is layered with a raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream and decorated with fresh raspberries. Impressive, yet achievable. You can vary the flavours for different occasions and showcase your hand piping skills.
FOR THE ORANGE CAKE
250g Unsalted butter – softened
250g Golden caster sugar
250g Beaten eggs (4-5 large eggs) – room temperature
250g Self raising flour
40ml Milk – room temperature or slightly warmed
10ml Vanilla extract
2 Oranges - zest
1 Lemon - zest
50g Pistachios (optional – roughly chopped)
For the SYRUP
150g Golden caster sugar
150ml Fresh orange and lemon juice (from the 2 oranges, 1 lemon)
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C and line the base and side of 2 qty 8 inch round loose-bottom tins with non-stick baking parchment.
In a desktop mixer, blitz the sugar, orange and lemon zest together for 2 minutes to release the oils and flavour before adding the softened butter. Cream together until light, pale and fluffy.
Add the beaten eggs followed by the vanilla extract in a slow trickle with the mixer on medium high speed until fully incorporated.
Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl, sieve in the flour and fold with a silicon spatula or metal spoon. Add the warmed milk and pistachios (if using) and continue to fold until all the ingredients are mixed and you have a smooth batter.
Divide equally between the two tins, level the top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown, gently shrinking from the sides, and the top springs back when gently pressed. A small clean knife inserted, should come out clean with no liquid cake batter.
TOP TP – blitzing citrus zest with sugar before adding the butter helps to release the oils and maximising and dispersing the flavour throughout the cake.
TOP TIP – I cannot emphasise enough the importance of weighing your ingredients accurately, having them all at room temperature (or even on the slightly warm side) and not rushing any stage of the process. This will all ensure you have a beautifully risen, even-crumbed cake, which will be soft and moist.
While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup. Weigh the sugar and fruit juices together. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Sieve through a tea strainer to remove any flesh and pips. Store in a jug until needed.
Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack. Spike the surface of the cakes with a wooden skewer and pour or brush the syrup evenly over the top of each. Leave the cakes to cool, then remove from the tin and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm and ready to assemble.
Keep any remaining syrup to re-brush the cakes once they are cooled before filling.
TOP TIP – adding syrup to the warm cakes helps keep them moist and full of flavour. Brushing again before filling is optional and can also help keep the cake moist.
RASPBERRY SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
200g Caster sugar
150ml Egg white
2 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
400g Unsalted butter – cool, room temperature (not chilled, and not overly-softened)
4 tbsp Freeze dried raspberry powder
(optional 2tbsp skimmed milk powder or melted white chocolate)
METHOD
Place the egg whites and sugar in a large, clean heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the temperature reaches 50-55C (122-131F).
Remove from the heat and transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the meringue until it has thickened, tripled in size and completely cooled to room temperature.
Change the whisk attachment for the beater and add the butter in small batches until thickened and stable. The mixture may well loosen and look ‘curdled’ before it comes together so be patient. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix until fully incorporated. Continue to beat for 5 -10 minutes on very low speed to remove all the air bubbles and stabilise the buttercream.
Add the freeze-dried raspberry powder and continue to beat for another 5 -10 minutes on very low speed – loosen with a little of the seedless raspberry jam if necessary.
FILLING AND DECORATING
75g Seedless raspberry jam
425g Fresh raspberries
1tbsp Icing sugar
Method
Remove the cakes from the fridge, trim to level if necessary.
Place one cake on a cake board or cake stand and spread generously with raspberry buttercream. Spoon and swirl the raspberry jam on the top and scatter with fresh raspberries. Press the raspberries down into the buttercream. Level the top with a palette knife before placing the top cake in position.
Spread a thin coat of raspberry buttercream on the sides of the cake, and a more generous layer on top. Smooth the top and sides using a palette knife and side scraper and chill for 15 -30 minutes to firm.
Fill a piping bag with an open rose nozzle and the remainder of the raspberry buttercream.
Pipe a ring of buttercream roses around the entire base of the cake and another ring directly above. Have the roses sit just higher than the top of the cake.
Fill the entire centre of the cake with fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar.
TOP TIP – temperature is critical when making the Swiss meringue buttercream - don’t overheat the egg whites, else the buttercream meringue will not have the protein structure to hold its shape. If this happens, add 1-2tbsp skimmed milk powder or melted white chocolate. Both will help to restore protein strength and stabilise.
If the butter is too warm the buttercream may look soupy. If this happens, chill the buttercream in the bowl for 15 minutes and re-whisk on low speed.
If the butter is too cold, the buttercream may curdle. Gently heat the outside of the bowl with a hairdryer, or bain marie of warm water for a few seconds and beat again on slow speed.
This cake will keep up to 3 days stored in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.
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