Rach's April Challenge: Spring has sprung

I have been wanting to make realistic daffodils ever since my 2nd Wilton course. The royal icing ones just looked weird.

These were a lot of fun although it took a few before they looked right. I used the tutorial that came with the Wilton Gumpaste Flower kit. The kit is good, but don't pay full price for it, it is $21. Use one of the 40% off coupons from Hobby Lobby or Michael's and save a little money.

This flavor of the cake was by request from my husband. The orange flavor wasn't very strong, so I would recommend adding some orange extract if you want a stronger flavor. The texture was perfect for cake decorating. Also, I am not usually a fan of curd, but this was great. I used my regular buttercream icing.

ORANGE LAYER CAKE

http://teriskitchen.com/cakes/orange.html

MAKES 1 8-INCH DOUBLE LAYER CAKE

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2-1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 4 egg whites

ORANGE CURD FILLING

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter

ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• Dash of salt
• 4-6 tablespoons orange juice

For Cake: Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Cream butter and sugar. Add orange peel. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the water and orange juice. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into batter. Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes on racks. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely. When cool, spread with filling and frosting.

For Filling: In medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, orange rind and salt. Gradually blend in orange juice, water and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted. Chill before spreading between cake layers. (Only spread to about 1-inch of edges. You might not need all of the filling.)

For Frosting: Cream the butter. Add the confectioner's sugar, orange rind, salt and 4 tablespoons of juice. Beat until spreading consistency, adding more juice if needed. Spread on sides and top of cake.

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Please visit the other participants in Rach's April Challenge:

Monica