Orange Sunshine Cake

Like oranges? You're going to love this cake! There's some work involved in getting it all together, but it's worth it! Very impressive!

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 3  cups unsifted flour
• 3  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 18  tablespoons unsalted butter or 18  tablespoons margarine, at room temperature,divided
• 2 1⁄3 cups sugar, divided
• 5  large eggs
• 1  cup  orange juice, divided
• 2  teaspoons orange zest

• FILLING

• 1⁄3 cup sugar, plus
• 2  tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
• 2  large eggs, separated

• FROSTING

• 2  egg whites
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2  tablespoons water
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  slivered  orange rind (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease three 9 inch round cake pans and line bottom with wax paper cut to fit bottom of pan.
3. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed until creamy.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cups orange juice, beating well after each addition.
7. Beat in orange peel.
8. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
9. Bake in a 350 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean.
10. Remove pans from oven and loosen cakes around edges with a small metal spatula.
11. Turn cakes out onto wire racks; peel off and discard wax paper.
12. Turn cakes, right-side up, and prick all over with a wooden pick.
13. In a small saucepan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup orange juice.
14. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves.
15. Spoon slowly over warm cakes, letting syrup soak in.
16. Let cakes cook completely.
17. To make the filling, in a small saucepan, mix 1/3 cup sugar and gelatin.
18. Add orange juice.
19. Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves.
20. Add butter, stir until butter melts.
21. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in orange mixture; then return mixture to saucepan.
22. Cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring until thickened.
23. Cool to room temperature.
24. Beat egg whites with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff; fold into cooled orange mixture.
25. Refrigerate until very thick but still spreadable, about 10 minutes.
26. Do not chill too long or mixture will set.
27. Use to fill Orange Sunshine Cake.
28. To make the frosting: in the top of a double boiler, mix egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, water and cream of tartar.
29. Beat with an electric mixer or rotary beater over boiling water 7 minutes or until very stiff and glossy.
30. Remove from heat; beat in vanilla.
31. Use to frost Orange Sunshine Cake.
32. To assemble the cake: place one cake layer on cake plate, spread with half the Orange Filling.
33. Top with second cake layer, spread with Frosting.
34. Top with remaining cake layer and spread with remaining Orange Filling.
35. Frost sides of cake with remaining Frosting.
36. Garnish with slivered orange peel, if desired.