05 May 2010

Orange Coconut Cake











This is a result of poor planning. Or not thinking ahead. Fortunately, it turned out really, really yummy--a perfect summery cake!

I called the grocery store bakery at 4:00pm on Tuesday, wondering if they would be able to do a cake for me by 6:00pm. Of the same day. No they do not--you must call 24 hours ahead. Okay, then. Making a mental list of the ingredients I had on hand at home, I skipped the store altogether and hoped for the best. One yellow cake recipe with some modification, a quick trip out just for confectioners sugar, and an hour later the cake pictured above was party-ready.

It began with this recipe and morphed from there. I'll have to give just the cake recipe since I didn't really write down ingredients for the cream cheese filling and glaze. Just do your own thing. A generous sprinkling of toasted coconut and some orange zest accompanied the filling.

Anita's Orange Cake
(2 9-inch layers)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
zest of one orange
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup milk

Instructions: Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat butter and sugar. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each to incorporate. Add vanilla and zest and beat in. Mix orange juice with milk and add to batter alternately with flour mixture. Batter will be light and fluffy. Spread into 2 greased and floured 9-inch pans and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. They will look very light in color when they are done, so test with a toothpick if you are unsure!


I filled the layers with a cream cheese/butter/o.j./confectioners sugar frosting and a generous sprinkling of coconut and more orange zest. I would recommend mixing the coconut into it, so that the two layers will hold together when cut. I thinned the filling and drizzled it as a glaze over the top layer, adding more orange zest and "YAY" in toasted coconut (the cake was for a graduation celebration party).




on the way to the party . . .


moist, light, summery-tasting!






and this is what we left behind . . . *sigh*

2 comments:

  1. Did it have a strong orange flavor or mild? I have a hard time finding an orange cake that I can taste the orange enough. I love citrusy cake- remember the one Tom made me for my b'day last year? Yours looks so pretty! I also LOVE your cake cover!!! Where did you get that????

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  2. Candice, I though the cake was orange-y without being overpowering. Adding fresh zest in/on the icing really gives it a more citrusy zing too! I found the cake cover at Gift and Thrift, of course, for a few dollars!! I love it because I can use it with any plate that's big enough.

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