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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 (or 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 or ground medium/fine
	(Measure then chop)
1 tablespoon	Orange Peel - grated

• 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.

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Frosting:

Kirk's Feather-light Fudge Frosting:

~5 oz	Chocolate Best you can get - 80% or darker
1-1/2 cups	Sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup	Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup	Butter
1/2 teaspoons	Salt
2/3 cup	Buttermilk
2 teaspoons	Vanilla

EQUIPMENT: 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.
I have a very small bowl I put in the bottom of the larger pan so the smaller pan sits level.
Then add water and ice-cubes until the smaller pan can sit in the ice-bath with the water to the top of the larger pan.

• 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 the small pan in the large pan, and let it sit for 3-5 minutes to cool somewhat.
• Use a mixer to whip the frosting as it cools, it won't be thick until it is nearly room temperature.
• As the frosting gets close to room temperature, start adding Powdered sugar, then continue to beat.
  • At this point I let it sit for 5-10 minutes to really cool down, then come back and finish the beating
    to get the right consistency.
• The perfect consistency is a combination of whipping enough to make it light,
  and adding enough sugar to make it thick, be patient, the beatings will continue until morale improves, or the frosting is done...

Makes more than enough frosting, but the left-over frosting has never lasted very long....

(The melting point here is so close to room temperature that the cake must be at room temperature before frosting.)