Kirk's Kid-Approved Birthday Cake
Orange Walnut Cake
~ with Chocolate Fudge Frosting ~
The default Birthday Cake in our house for a dozen years
best served on Jan-23, Mar-7, or October-7
Cake:
| 2-3/4 cups | Cake Flour (2 1/2 cups if All-Purpose) |
| 1-1/2 cups | Sugar |
| 3/4 cup | Butter |
| 3/4 teaspoons | Salt |
| 1-1/2 teaspoons | Baking Soda |
| | |
| 1-1/2 cups | Buttermilk |
| 3 | Eggs |
| 1-1/2 teaspoons | Vanilla |
| 1 cup | Walnuts - Chopped medium/fine |
| | (Measure then chop) |
| 1 tablespoon | grated Orange Peel |
- Heat oven to 350°
- Grease and flour pans - I use 2, 9"-round pans.
- Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.
- Mix at low speed until well blended.
- Mix at high speed for two minutes (this adds air for a more fluffy cake)
- Divide evenly into pans and
- Bake 35-40 minutes - until knife comes out clean.
Frosting:
Easy-Fudge frosting:
| ~5 oz | Chocolate Best you can get - 80% or darker |
| 2 cups | Sugar |
| 1/2 cup | Butter |
| 1/2 teaspoons | Salt |
| 2/3 cup | Buttermilk |
| 2 teaspoons | Vanilla |
To simplify the process, we will use two sauce-pans of different sizes to get a double-boiler effect but with ice-water. So more of a double-cooler, this allows us to cool and whip up the frosting quickly.
- We begin with all of the ingredients in the smaller pan, on medium heat until everything is melted evenly. Stirring with a small whisk.
- Once melted, bring it up to a full boil - stirring constantly, and keep it boiling for a full minute.
- Now set it aside for 3-5 minutes to cool somewhat.
- Place the smaller pan in the larger pan (which is half-full of ice and water, it should just about over-flow with the second pan sitting in it.)
- Use a mixer to whip the frosting as it cools, it won't be thick until it is nearly room temperature.
- Be patient, but if it does not thicken up enough, add confectioner's sugar - maybe a 1/4 cup at a time.
Once it is around room temperature you are ready to frost the cake
(but, if the cake hasn't cooled enough, the frosting will just melt and be difficult to spread thickly.)
