Best Blood Orange Layer Cake Recipes

UPSIDE-DOWN BLOOD ORANGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter. Add the brown sugar and lemon juice; stir until sugar melts, about 3 minutes. Scrape mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
• Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from one of the oranges, then slice off the tops and bottoms of both oranges. Place oranges on a clean, flat surface, and slice away the rind and pith, top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Slice each orange crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wheels; discard any seeds. Arrange orange wheels on top of brown sugar mixture in a single, tight layer.
• In a large bowl, whisk together orange zest, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together remaining 2 sticks (225 grams) butter with granulated sugar. Beat in eggs, one a time, then beat in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the dry mixture by hand.
• Scrape batter into pan over oranges. Transfer to oven and bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife along pan's edges to loosen it; invert onto a platter and cool completely before serving.

BLOOD ORANGE ROSEMARY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly spray a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch) loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar and butter. Add in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing after each addition. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour and salt. Slowly add the blood orange soda, mixing until combined. Scrape the sides, add the rosemary and zest in one of the blood oranges. Mix again for about 30 seconds.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, spread evenly and place onto a baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet on the counter top to allow air bubble in the batter to escape. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center does not come out totally clean but isn't wet with batter either, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
• Meanwhile make the glaze: Zest the second blood orange and then juice it into a small measuring cup. Add the powdered sugar, orange zest and 2 tablespoons of the blood orange juice to a mixing bowl and whisk until the glaze is thick but pourable, adding an extra tablespoon of blood orange juice to thin if needed. Remove the cake from the loaf pan to a baking rack set over a baking sheet, drizzle the glaze over the cake and let set.

BLOOD ORANGE RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• For the ricotta pound cake: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan with removable bottom with the melted butter and line the bottom with a 9-inch-diameter parchment paper round. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and falls in heavy ribbons, about 7 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, ricotta, orange juice, and vanilla. Gently add the ricotta mixture to the egg mixture and whip just until blended. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the sifted ingredients to the batter, mixing just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over mix. If necessary, finish folding in the sifted ingredients by hand, using a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the cake until lightly browned on top, about 70 minutes. The cake is done when a knife blade inserted into the center comes out clean and when the top of the cake springs back lightly when touched. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan and peel parchment paper from bottom of the cake. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap until ready to use. The Ricotta Pound Cake can be stored for up to 1 day at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 1 week. For the blood orange simple syrup: Combine the sugar with 1/3 cup water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, pour into a clean bowl, and allow to cool. Once fully cooled, stir in the blood orange concentrate until combined. The Blood Orange Simple Syrup will keep for up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the blood orange curd: Soften the gelatin sheet in 2 cups cool water for 3 minutes. Combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and both juices into a heatproof, nonreactive mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water) and whisk together until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture begins to thicken into a custard, 5 to 7 minutes. If using a candy thermometer, cook to 170 to 180 degrees F. Whisk the butter. The curd should be smooth and homogenous. Squeeze out the excess water from the gelatin and whisk the gelatin into the hot mixture until fully dissolved and combined. Remove the bowl from over the water and strain the curd through a medium-mesh sieve into a clean, nonreactive mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the curd and allow to cool in the refrigerator. The Blood Orange Curd can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the cranberry orange preserves: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the cranberries and orange juice. The cranberries should still be in chunky pieces. Combine the cranberry mixture with the corn syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring every 5 minutes, cook the mixture until it boils and thickens, 15 to 20 minutes. If using a candy thermometer, cook to approx. 210 degrees F. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator. The Cranberry Orange Preserves can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• For the blood orange whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the Blood Orange Curd until combined, being careful not to over mix, which could make the stiffened whipped cream weak. The Blood Orange Whipped Cream should be made when ready to assemble the cake. To assemble the cake: In a small mixing bowl, gently fold together the raspberries and the Cranberry Orange Preserves until combined. Place the unwrapped pound cake on a flat work surface. Using a long serrated knife, slice off the top 1/4-inch to even out the top of the cake as necessary. Slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers. Using a 10-inch round cake board as the bottom of a 10-by-3-inch round cake pan with removable bottom, center 1 cake layer on the cake board, cut side up. Using a pastry brush, moisten the cake layer with one-third of the Blood Orange Simple Syrup. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of Blood Orange Whipped Cream and set aside to be used to frost the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, spread half of the remaining Blood Orange Whipped Cream onto the syrup-soaked cake layer, allowing the whipped cream to fill up the space between the cake and the cake pan. Use a rubber spatula to gently but firmly press the whipped cream down in between the side of the cake pan and the cake layer, thus essentially forming the side of the cake. Spoon half of the raspberry-cranberry preserves mixture onto the Blood Orange Whipped Cream, gently pressing the berries onto the cream. Top with a second layer of pound cake and repeat with another one-third of the simple syrup, the other half of the remaining Blood Orange Whipped Cream, and remaining raspberry-cranberry preserves mixture. Top with the final layer of cake and moisten with the remaining Blood Orange Simple Syrup. Using a long, flat spatula, evenly spread the reserved 1 1/2 cups Blood Orange Whipped Cream over the top of the cake. Tightly wrap the cake in the pan in plastic wrap and place in the freezer overnight.

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Grate zest from 2 oranges and place in a bowl with sugar. Using your fingers, rub ingredients together until orange zest is evenly distributed in sugar.
• Supreme an orange: Cut off bottom and top so fruit is exposed and orange can stand upright on a cutting board. Cut away peel and pith, following curve of fruit with your knife. Cut orange segments out of their connective membranes and let them fall into a bowl. Repeat with another orange. Break up segments with your fingers to about 1/4-inch pieces.
• Halve remaining orange and squeeze juice into a measuring cup. You will have about 1/4 cup or so. Add buttermilk or yogurt to juice until you have 2/3 cup liquid altogether. Pour mixture into bowl with sugar and whisk well. Whisk in eggs.
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk dry ingredients into wet ones. Switch to a spatula and fold in olive oil a little at a time. Fold in pieces of orange segments. Scrape batter into pan and smooth top.
• Bake cake for about 55 minutes, or until it is golden and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then unmold and cool to room temperature right-side up. Serve with whipped cream and honey-blood orange compote, if desired.

MARY BERRY'S ORANGE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. You will need 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins, greased and bases lined with baking parchment. Measure all the cake ingredients into a large bowl (reserve a little orange zest for decoration) and beat with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer until combined and smooth.
• Divide evenly between the 2 tins. Bake for 20-25 mins or until well risen, lightly golden and shrinking away from the sides of the tins. After 5 mins, remove from the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the icing, put the butter and icing sugar into a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in the orange zest.
• Remove the paper from the cakes. Sit 1 cake upside down on a plate. Make the glaze by putting the caster sugar and orange juice into a saucepan, stirring over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Boil until reduced by half, then brush half on the upside-down cake, using a pastry brush. Spread half the butter icing over the glazed cake. Sit the other cake on top, brush with the remaining glaze, then spread with the remaining butter icing. Scatter with the reserved orange zest. The cake is best eaten on the day, but will keep for up to 3 days in a cool place. It freezes well un-iced or filled.