Glazed Orange Butter Cake
Submitted by jennyatfireside
Glazed orange butter cake made with cake flour and cornstarch for ultra-tender crumb, scented with fresh orange juice and zest, then drizzled with a tangy orange glaze. The bright citrus cake worth pulling out the stand mixer.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis glazed orange butter cake is a study in technique. Cake flour and cornstarch combine for the lowest-protein flour blend possible, which translates to the tenderest, finest crumb you can achieve in a butter cake. The orange flavor is doubled by using both fresh juice and grated zest, plus a glaze that hits the warm cake to soak in.
Separating the eggs and beating the whites separately is the technique that lifts this cake from good to memorable. The whipped whites get folded in at the end, providing rise and a lighter, cloud-like texture you can’t match with whole eggs alone.
The batter will look slightly curdled when you add the orange-juice-egg-yolk mixture to the butter and sugar. This is normal. Acid in the orange juice partially breaks the emulsion, but the flour smooths everything out when added.
Fold the egg whites in with a light hand. Aggressive folding deflates the whites and you lose the entire reason you went to the trouble of separating eggs. Use a rubber spatula and fold gently, just until no white streaks remain.
Pro Tips
- Sift the flour mixture twice as the recipe directs. Twice-sifted flour fully aerates the cornstarch and produces a noticeably finer texture than single-sifted.
- Use a microplane for the orange zest, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath. Pith makes glaze and cake taste medicinal.
- Drizzle the glaze on warm, not hot, cake. Hot cake makes the glaze run completely off; warm cake holds it as a thin, glossy coating.
Variations
- Swap lemon or lime juice and zest for the orange for a different citrus profile.
- Add 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau to the glaze for a boozy version.
- Top with candied orange peel or toasted sliced almonds for added texture and visual appeal.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease and flour 2 (8 inch) round cake pans or a 9×13 inch pan.
Combine the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder, and sift them twice.
Put the butter in a large mixing bowl, and beat until it is smooth and creamy.
Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar, and beat until the mixture is well blended.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam.
Then gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar, and continue beating until the whites are stiff, but moist; set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks to break them up, then add the orange juice and orange zest, and continue to beat until the mixture is pale and thick.
Add the egg yolks to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix gently until blended.
It will look slightly curdled. Sift the flour mixture over, and fold in.
Scoop up the beaten egg whites, drop them on top of the batter, and gently fold them in until there are no streaks of unblended white.
Pour into prepared pan or pans, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven, and let cool for about 5 minutes before turning the layers out.
The 9×13 inch cake should be left in the pan to cool slightly before adding the Glaze.
ORANGE GLAZE: Mix powdered sugar with orange juice and grated orange zest until smooth.
Drizzle over warm cake.
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