Orange Cake

4.80 from 25 votes

This Orange Cake is the best! Moist orange cake layers are filled with whipped cream and frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time20

Cook Time28

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened (This is the equivalent of 1 ½ sticks butter)
2 cups (400g) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups (342g) cake flour
3 teaspoons (12g) baking powder
½ teaspoons (3g) salt
¾ cup (190g) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil (we use canola oil)
½ cup (121g) milk (we use whole milk)
1 Tablespoon (10g) Orange extract
A small amount of orange coloring gel (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325℉. Grease and flour three 8x2 inch round pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.
In another bowl, add the ¾ cup orange juice concentrate, vegetable oil, milk and orange extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and mix for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk has blended.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the orange juice mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. (That will be three additions of dry and two of liquid).
Divide the orange cake batter between the three prepared 8 inch cake pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes and turn out.

Chill the mixing bowl and beaters/ whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Pour the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla into the chilled mixing bowl, begin beating on low speed gradually increasing to medium high speed.
Mix until the cream thickens (approx. 1 ½ minutes) and stiff peaks form. You've reached the stiff peak stage when the beaters can be lifted from the bowl and a peak of whipped cream forms and holds its shape. Be careful not to over-mix.
Use immediately as the whipped cream will gradually begin to deflate over time.

Add the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is smooth.
Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.