Twelfth Night Cake
Elegant orange butter cake for Epiphany with eggs beaten to triple volume, orange juice concentrate, and a dusting of powdered sugar. A light, citrusy tube cake steeped in European holiday tradition.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsTwelfth Night, the feast of Epiphany on January 6th, calls for a cake worthy of the occasion, and this beauty more than delivers.
It’s an elegant European-style butter cake where eggs and yolks are whipped to triple their volume, creating an impossibly light, airy crumb infused with orange juice concentrate and fresh zest.
Melted butter folded gently into that cloud of beaten eggs gives the cake richness without heaviness.
Dust it with powdered sugar and ring it with orange slices for a presentation that looks like it came from a Parisian patisserie.
Chef Tips
- Eggs and yolks must be at room temperature to achieve maximum volume when beating
- Fold the butter mixture in very gently with a wide spatula. Overworking will deflate the batter
- Sift the flour and cornstarch together twice for the lightest possible texture
- The cake is done when it starts pulling away from the sides of the pan. Don’t overbake or it’ll dry out
- Cool completely in the pan before turning out to avoid crumbling
Ingredients
Directions
Combine butter, juice concentrate, rind, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring, until butter is melted.
Remove from heat; cool to lukewarm.
Place eggs, egg yolks and sugar in large bowl; beat until tripled in volume.
Sprinkle flour and cornstarch over eggs.
Add orange mixture; fold in very gently until there is no trace of buter mixture.
Pour into greased 9 inch tube pan.
Bake in preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven for about 40 minutes or until cake starts to come away from sides of pan.
Cool.
Remove from pan.
Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.
Garnish sides of cake with orange slices if desired.
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