Need to earn some maid-of-honor brownie points? This Orange Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting from the June 2006 issue of Bon Appetit is sure to do the trick. Whip this up for your BFF's bridal shower and everyone will be in awe of your domestic divaness. Okay, I am not so sure you could just whip this one up - it looks a little more involved than a normal recipe. So if you do make this delicious cake, be sure to invite me!

Orange Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

4 1/2 cups cake flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole milk
9 large egg whites

Orange-flower syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon orange-flower water (flavoring extract available at grocery stores)

Buttercream
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon orange-flower water

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 12-ounce container fresh strawberries
1 6-ounce container fresh raspberries
1 4.4-ounce container fresh blueberries

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; spray parchment. Dust pans with flour, tapping out any excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beating until well blended between additions. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Beat egg white mixture until stiff glossy peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold egg white mixture into batter in 3 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; remove parchment paper, turn cakes over, and cool completely.

For orange-flower syrup:
Bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Stir in orange-flower water. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

For buttercream:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well. Add orange-flower water; beat until smooth.

Place 1 cup orange-flower buttercream in medium bowl; mix in orange marmalade. Set marmalade buttercream aside to use as filling.

To assemble:
Hull and cut half of strawberries lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges. Trim cake tops to flatten. Place 1 cake on plate, cut side up. Brush 1/2 of orange-flower syrup (about 3/4 cup) over top of cake. Place scant 1/2 cup plain orange-flower buttercream into pastry bag fitted with 1/3-inch tip. Pipe 1/3-inch line of buttercream around edge of cake. Spoon marmalade buttercream into center, spreading just to line. Gently press sliced strawberries, half of raspberries, and half of blueberries into filling, leaving 1/2-inch border (chill remaining berries for garnish). Top with second layer; brush top with remaining syrup. Frost top and sides with remaining plain orange-flower buttercream. Chill at least 2 hours.

Remove cake from refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Hull and cut remaining strawberries lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Sprinkle sliced strawberries and remaining raspberries and blueberries over cake.




{photo by Pornchai Mittongtare for Bon Appetit}