Citrus is a welcome sight on a cold Winter day. Between November and March, there are all sorts of lemons, oranges, limes, and grapefruits at the store. I especially love the sweet navel oranges during the Winter. This cake can be made year round but is especially welcome during the Winter.

Orange cake with orange glaze

Cake

• 1 cup baking sugar
• 1/2 unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp double acting aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• Orange glaze (recipe below)
• 8 thin slices of orange
• Whipped mascarpone (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 375 °F.

Butter and flour 9 inch round layer cake pan. Place pan on a baking sheet.

Using a mixer, cream sugar, butter, and orange zest until pale yellow and the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Add egg yolks and mix until incorporated.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add to sugar and egg mixture. Mix just until blended.

Add orange juice carefully to cake batter. Transfer batter to cake pan. Reduce temperature on the oven to 350 °F. Place cake on middle rack in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until top is slightly brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Remove cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Remove from the pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Glaze the top of the cake with the orange glaze (recipe below) and decorate with slices of orange. Serve with a dollop of whipped mascarpone.

Serves 8.

Orange Glaze

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Zest of one orange
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp orange liquor such as Grand Marnier or 1/2 tsp orange extract (I use the extract from Savory Spice Shop which has a bright and slightly bitter orange flavor. The extracts from McCormick’s are much too artificial tasting.)

Combine all ingredients except orange liquor in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 6-7 minutes. The glaze will darken and thicken. Remove from heat and add orange liquor.

Let cool to room temperature before glazing cooled cake.

Whipped Mascarpone

• 4 oz mascarpone cheese (a sweet Italian cream cheese)
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp baking sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until cheese is incorporated into whipping cream. Beat on high until soft peaks form.