Description
A vibrant and tangy Blood Orange Cake recipe featuring moist layers infused with fresh blood orange juice and zest, layered with luscious blood orange curd and finished with creamy blood orange buttercream. Ideal for celebrations or a special dessert that combines citrus brightness with rich sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Layers
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 2 blood oranges
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup fresh blood orange juice
- Optional: 1 drop pink or peach gel food coloring
For the Blood Orange Curd Filling
- ½ cup fresh blood orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 large whole egg
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- Optional: 1–2 drops pink or coral gel food coloring
For the Blood Orange Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
- Zest of 1 blood orange
- Pinch of salt
- 1–2 drops pink gel food coloring, to preference
Decoration
- Fresh blood orange slices
- Optional: candied blood orange slices or edible flowers
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper to ensure easy removal after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Then mix in the blood orange zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract until evenly distributed.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk and fresh blood orange juice. Optionally, add a drop of pink or peach gel food coloring to enhance the batter’s color.
- Alternate Mixing Wet and Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk and blood orange juice mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined after each addition to avoid overmixing.
- Divide and Bake: Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then transfer them onto wire racks to cool completely before assembly.
- Make Blood Orange Curd: In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk together blood orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, and whole egg until smooth. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or whisk for 7 to 10 minutes, until thickened and coating the back of a spoon.
- Add Butter and Color: Remove the curd from heat and whisk in the cubed butter until melted and smooth. Stir in gel food coloring if using. Transfer to a container and chill for about 1 hour until thickened.
- Make Blood Orange Buttercream: Beat the softened butter on medium-high speed in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed and beat until smooth.
- Add Liquids and Color: Mix in blood orange juice, zest, pinch of salt, and gel food coloring to achieve desired color. Beat until the buttercream is fluffy and evenly tinted.
- Level and Fill: If needed, level the cake layers with a serrated knife for even stacking. Place the first layer on your cake board or stand. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edges and spoon a generous amount of blood orange curd into the center. Repeat with the second layer.
- Crumb Coat and Chill: Add the final cake layer on top. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire cake. Chill for 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Frost and Decorate: Apply the final layer of buttercream evenly on the chilled cake. Decorate with fresh blood orange slices and optionally candied slices or edible flowers for a stunning presentation.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results, especially butter and eggs.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep the cake light and tender.
- The blood orange curd should be stirred constantly on low heat to prevent scrambling the eggs.
- Gel food coloring is optional but helps enhance the cake’s pinkish-orange hue.
- Chill the curd and crumb-coated cake to make handling and decorating easier.
- Use fresh blood oranges for the most vibrant flavor and color; substitute with navel oranges if unavailable, but flavor will be less intense.
