Sunshine Orange Cream Cake
Submitted by tuttle64
Sunshine orange cream cake layered with tangy sour cream and fresh orange slices. A from-scratch sheet cake split into two layers with a bright, creamy citrus filling.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis cake pairs a tender, from-scratch vanilla-brown sugar cake with a layer of tangy sour cream and fresh orange slices. It’s an unconventional combination that works because the sour cream’s tang cuts through the sweetness and the orange brings bright citrus freshness.
Sour cream shows up twice in this recipe. Half a cup goes into the batter for a dense, moist crumb, and the rest gets spread between the layers as a filling. If unsweetened sour cream is too tart for your taste, the recipe wisely suggests sweetening it with a bit of sugar or honey, or mixing it half-and-half with sweetened whipped cream.
The cake bakes in a single sheet pan, then gets cut in half to form two layers. This means you don’t need special round cake pans and you get clean, straight edges. Just make sure the cake cools completely before you attempt to slice and stack it. A warm cake will crumble and tear.
Kitchen Tips
- Line the pan with waxed paper and grease both the pan and the paper. This cake sticks without it.
- Cool completely in the pan before removing. Rushing this step cracks the cake.
- Slice the orange as thin as possible. Thick orange slices are hard to bite through in a layer cake.
- Alternate the flour and wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour. This prevents a tough, overdeveloped crumb.
Variations
- Use blood oranges when in season for a stunning, ruby-colored filling.
- Replace sour cream filling with mascarpone sweetened with orange zest for a richer Italian-style twist.
- Add a tablespoon of Grand Marnier or orange liqueur to the sour cream filling for an adult version.
Ingredients
Directions
- Peel orange, cut into quarters and thinly slice across the sections, or cut into a pretty pattern of your choice.
- Cream margarine and sugars until light and fluffy.
Blend in vanilla.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Stir flour, salt, soda, and baking powder together thoroughly; blend into creamed mixture alternately with ½ cup sour cream and milk.
Begin and end with flour.
- Pour into greased and waxed paper-lined (grease the waxed paper lightly also) 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.
Bake in preheated 350-degree oven, 25 to 35 minutes or until done.
COOL COMPLETELY before removing from pan.
Cut cake in half to form 2 layers 6½ by 9 inches.
Spread ¾ cup sour cream over layer, arrange orange slices on sour cream.
Top with second layer.
Garnish each serving with additional sour cream and orange slices.
- The sour cream is an acquired taste.
You may prefer to sweeten it with sugar or honey, or with a mix of half sour cream and half sweetened whipped cream.
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