This cake is so light and fluffy and oh-so-delicious, you’ll want to make it again and again!  It’s great for a layer cake, but also for cupcakes.  I’ll post the cake first, then the cupcakes on a separate post.  On this post, I’ll post the cake with the original icing called “Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting.”  I really liked this icing, but for the cupcakes I wanted to make the icing a little more creamier; so you’ll see a different version icing than the one posted below.

This recipe is from the March issue 2012 “Southern Living.”

 

 

Ingredients:

 

2 and 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 and 1/3 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

5 large eggs, separated (I like my eggs room temperature)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

3 Tablespoons orange zest

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl of a heavy-duty-electric stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add oil, egg yolks and orange juice.  Beat at medium-high speed 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth.  Stir in zest.

 

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tarter at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold into the flour mixture.  Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

 

3. Bake at 350 for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on a wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely (about  1 hour).

 

4. Spread Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

 

Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup softened butter

3 Tablespoons orange zest

 1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1 32-ounce confectioner sugar 

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

 

Directions:

 

Beat 1 cup softened butter 3 Tablespoons orange zest; add 1  Tablespoon lemon zest at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy: gradually add a 32-ounce package powdered sugar alternately with 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 5 Tablespoons fresh orange juice ; beating at low-speed until blended after each addition.  Add up to 1 Tablespoon additional orange juice, 1 teaspoon at a time; until desired consistency is reached.  Makes 6 cups.