Orange Cream Cake

Instructions

• Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 350F. Spray four 6-in. round baking pans with oil, then line with parchment.

• Cake: Beat 8 egg yolks in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until pale and thick. Gradually beat in fine sugar. Beat in zest and 6 tbsp orange juice until combined. Clean beaters.

• Sift flour with baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Sift again.

• Beat 8 egg whites in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium, until stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture until almost combined. Then fold in flour mixture until no streaks remain. Divide among prepared pans.

• Bake until a cake tester inserted in centre of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 min. Cool pans on a rack for 10 min. Run a knife around inside edges of pans, then turn cakes out onto rack. Remove parchment. Cool completely, about 30 min.

• Filling: Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil. Then combine granulated sugar with flour and cornstarch in a medium saucepan set over low. Gradually stir in 1 1⁄2 cups boiling water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Stir in butter until melted. Remove from heat.

• Stir gelatin with 2 tbsp cold water in a small metal or ceramic ramekin. Set aside for 5 min in a warm area. Beat 4 egg yolks in a large bowl. While stirring continuously, pour hot filling over yolks. Scrape mixture back into saucepan, then return to stovetop over low. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 min. Stir in zest, 6 tbsp orange juice, lemon juice and gelatin mixture. Scrape into a large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of filling and set aside until cool, about 1 hr. Fold whipped cream into filling. Refrigerate until ready to use.

• Divide buttercream into two medium bowls. Stir enough of each food colouring into separate bowls of icing to achieve desired shades. Fill two piping bags, fitted with an open star tip and large round tip, with pink icing.

• Assembly: Use a serrated knife to cut all cakes in half horizontally. You will have eight layers. Set one layer on a serving platter. Spread a layer of filling overtop. Repeat layering with cake and filling. Trim top layers into a dome shape, starting a quarter distance from the top. (Don’t worry about making the surface perfect; the icing will help smooth over rough edges.)

• Spread a thin layer of orange buttercream icing all over cake. Refrigerate cake until icing is firm, about 15 min. Ice cake with remaining orange icing. Pipe rounds and chains all over cake with round and star tips. Garnish with mixed berries, daisies and a tangerine, if desired.