ORANGE BUTTERMILK MASCARPONE CAKEfeatured

Currently I’m sitting at one of my best friend’s kitchen table in Coeur d’Alene Idaho, looking out onto a lake surrounded by ginormous trees. It’s not one bit ugly. In fact it’s beautiful and it feels like fall and I love every bit of it. It’s been rainy and cloudy so it feels a little odd blogging and writing about a cake that is nothing but sunshine and summertime. But then again, orange things are awesome anytime of the year and I live in southern California where seasons are just these silly things we hear about on the news. Growing up in the midwest and then moving to California when I was a teenager, I’ve always felt trapped between two worlds. There is a big, big part of me that feels midwest to the core. Give me wide open spaces, big trees, crisp air, country music and Fall weather. Yes. Please. But I fell in love with California too and have made that my home. And I love it. Deeply. Truthfully, I want them both; I want the best of both worlds.

But enough of that, let’s talk about this cake. It’s kind of the best of all worlds. Sweet, but not overly sweet. Citrus-y but not over powering. And it’s not too heavy or too light, just right in the middle where you feel satisfied. Basically it’s the Goldilocks of desserts. Light enough to go with a cup of afternoon tea in Idaho watching it rain or sweet enough to finish off a beach side brunch with your favorites. Depending on where your heart leads you… at least for the time being…

Recipe: Orange Buttermilk Mascarpone Cake – Adapted from Baked Occasions |  Soundtrack: Ryan Adams

• CAKE
• 2-4 oranges
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tsp orange extract
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• ORANGE SYRUP
• 6 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 6 tbsp sugar
• MASCARPONE HONEY FILLING
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• FOR DECORATING
• 2-5 tbsp powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325º.

Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Put a little flour in the pan, dust the paper and the edges with the flour. Knock out the excess flour and set pans aside.

Zest and juice 2 oranges. (Depending on how juicy your oranges are, you might need the other two oranges for the syrup). Set aside the zest. Place 1/2 cup of the juice into a liquid measuring cup and set the remaining juice aside for the syrup. Add the buttermilk to the juice, whisk until combined. Set aside.

Sift the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the brown sugar and the butter until fluffy. Add the eggs and the egg yolks. Beat well. Add the orange extract, vanilla and the orange zest until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans making sure it’s evenly distributed. Smooth the top. Bake 30-37 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven, place on cooling racks. While the cake is still a little warm,turn the cake out onto a rack, remove the parchment paper and flip the cake right side up.

Meanwhile, make the orange syrup. In a small sauce pan over very low heat, whisk together the orange juice  and the sugar until well combined (you might need more juice than the two oranges from the cake, if so, squeeze the juice from the other 2 oranges to get what you need). Once the sugar is melted increase the heat to medium-low and simmer until the syrup is slightly thickened. Approx 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the heat.

Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the two cakes and then brush the cakes evenly with the orange syrup allowing it to soak in and set.

While the syrup is soaking in, make the mascarpone center. In a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine mascarpone, honey and the powdered sugar until well combined. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until fully incorporated.

To assemble the cake, place your first cake layer onto your serving plate, spread a layer of the mascarpone cream evenly on top. Place the second cake layer on the top. Using sifter, dust the top of the cake generously with powdered sugar. You can even use paper to create stencils for fun shapes and designs for the top. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days if it lasts that long.

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