Dave’s Birthday Cake: Fresh Orange Layer Cake with Creamy Nut Filling

My Dad insisted I learn to bake in 8th grade:  Saturday morning coffee cake, cookies, cakes, all were good, all were from scratch, and I learned well how to make them.  I enjoyed baking.  Dave took over the baking a few years after we got married and my contributions dwindled to the odd cake or loaf of bread or batch of cookies.  Eventually my baking stopped altogether.

My family recalls the last time I made a cake.  It was for Dave’s birthday over 20 years ago and it was a failure.  Just like Goldilocks, one layer was too wet, one was too dry and one, well, I don’t know because I pitched the whole thing.

Dave asked me to make him an orange cake this year.  Orange cake is one of my Mom’s recipes, with orange rind and juice and a special frosting that has nuts.  Cake and frosting are both easy, no folding, which was my downfall last time, and it is delicious.  (My Dad ranked it an A cake, one of only three cakes to deserve his highest award.)

Dave’s Birthday Cake Fresh Orange Layer Cake with Creamy Nut Filling and Frosting

The verdict?  Delicious!

Here is the recipe:

Fresh Orange Layer Cake

Grease and flour 3 8 inch layer pans.  Put cut rounds of waxed paper in the bottom of each pan after greasing and flouring.

Sift together:

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Add:

1/2 cup shortening (Crisco or equivalent)
grated rind of 1 orange
1/4 cup orange juice, use unstrained juice from grated orange
1/2 cup milk

Beat for 2 minutes.
Add:

1/4 cup milk
2 eggs

Beat 2 more minutes.

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.  (Mine took 25 minutes)
Cool on racks, then take out of pan when cool and remove waxed paper.
Frost when cool.

Creamy Nut Filling and Frosting

Into 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour gradually blend 1/2 cup milk.  Cook over low heat until it forms a very thick paste, stir constantly.  Cool to lukewarm.

Cream well 1/2 cup margarine with 1/2 cup sugar and a dash of salt.  Beat in the cooled paste and beat until fluffy.  Add 1 teaspoon orange extract and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.  Beat very well.

Use 1/3 of this mixture for the filling.

Blend in 1 cup sifted powdered sugar into the remaining 2/3 of the mixture and beat well.  Use this to frost the top and sides.

You can leave nuts out of the mixture and sprinkle on top the filling and on top the cake if prefered.