Description
This delicious Orange Cream Cheese Cake is infused with fresh orange zest and topped with a creamy frosting. Perfect for any occasion!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup orange zest (from about 4 oranges)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 drops orange food coloring gel (optional)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 6 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup orange juice (from about 4 oranges, strained to remove pulp and seeds)
- 12 ounces (336g) cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 pod vanilla bean (scraped OR 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
- 5 cups powdered sugar (plus more for decoration)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Orange food coloring gel
- Green food coloring gel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two or three 8-inch cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and orange zest. Beat together until fragrant. Add the butter and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If desired, add 2 drops of food coloring gel.
- Pour in the oil and beat once more.
- In a measuring cup, pour in the milk, egg whites, and strained orange juice; whisk together.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and, alternating between the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients, add them to the butter/sugar mixture until the batter is relatively smooth.
- Divide the batter among the prepared baking pans and smooth it out until it reaches the sides. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to cool in their pans for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- In a stand-up mixer, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the butter and beat for about 10 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat for 2 minutes to ensure fluffy frosting.
- Divide frosting into two bowls, adding orange food coloring to one and green food coloring to the other. Mix until smooth.
- Transfer the orange frosting to a piping bag fitted with a #3 round tip and the green frosting to a piping bag with a #1 round tip.
- Add the frosting to the top of the cake and smooth into an even layer.
- To add the orange decorations, pipe rounds of frosting on top, then pipe on a “leaf” shape at the top of each round.
- Store the cake at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Notes
- This cake is best stored at room temperature or covered with plastic wrap if necessary.
- You can use a colander to cover the cake if you don’t have a cake cover.
- Feel free to use additional sprinkles or other decorations on top for a festive look.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg