Cranberry ~ Orange Layer Cake
3 1/3 Cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Cups unsalted butter, room temp
2 Cups sugar
zest of one large orange or 2 tangerines
3 large eggs, room temp
1 Cup milk, room temp
1 Cup sour cream, room temp
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
3 Cups fresh cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour or spray with baking spray 3 eight inch pans.
Cream the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time and combine. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl or large glass measuring 4 cup size; whisk together the sour cream, milk and vanilla until combined. Starting and ending with the flour; Alternate with the flour in 3 additions and w/the milk mixture in 2 additions. Don’t over mix. Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter in the 3 prepared pans and bake about 35-40 minutes until a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the pans over a wire rack until the cakes are completely cool. Frost with the cream cheese icing.
Decorate as desired.
Optional sugared rosemary and cranberries:
Make a small amount of simple sugar with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water by melting in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves and gently boil for a minute. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes. Drop the cranberries into the syrup and remove and place over a wire rack and let rest for about 10 minutes then roll in sugar and place back onto the rack to dry. “Drag” the rosemary sprigs into the syrup and let dry on the rack for about 40 minutes, the coat with sugar and place back onto the rack to dry.
Optional marzipan pine cones:
Quick food processor marzipan: (you can use store bought also)
5 oz. finely ground blanched almond flour
6 oz. confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp. liquid pasteurized (100 %) egg white
1 tsp. almond extract
Blend all the ingredients in the processor and dump out onto a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log.
Break off a small piece of marzipan and roll it into a ball first in your hands, then shape into a cone shape. Insert sliced “natural” almonds at an angle into the marzipan. Sprinkle a generous amount of confectioners sugar once formed. Carefully place on the cake as desired.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing
16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 lbs. Confectioners sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. white chocolate melted
1/4 Cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
(optional)* 8 oz. white chocolate melted and cooled
Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add in the white chocolate and blend until combined; but don’t overbeat. Fill and frost cooled cake layers. Tip; the prevent the cake layers sliding insert bamboo skewers into the top of the cake and chill the cake after doing a thin crumb coating on the top and sides before putting on the final layer of frosting. Remove the skewers once you’re ready to frost the top and sides of the cake; chill the cake in between if the frosting starts to get a little soft.
