All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [26]
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2. Rinse the oranges and pat them dry with paper towels. Grate enough zest to measure 2 tablespoons. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the zest for the frosting, if desired. Cut one orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl; you will have 1/3 to ½ cup. Set this juice aside for the frosting, if desired. Cut the remaining orange in half, squeeze its juice into a measuring cup. Add enough buttermilk to measure 11/3 cups of liquid. Pour the orange juice and buttermilk mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, vanilla, eggs, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Fold in the ½ cup of chopped pecans and the raisins. Divide the cake batter evenly among the 3 prepared cake pans, about 2 cups batter per pan, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the cake pans in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold 3 pans on one rack, place 2 pans on that rack and one in the center of the rack above.
3. Bake the cake layers until they are golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20 to 24 minutes. The cake layer on the higher rack may bake faster so test it for doneness first. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Leave the oven on to toast the pecans. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Let the layers cool to room temperature, 15 minutes longer.
4. Make the garnish and orange buttercream frosting: If garnishing with pecans, spread the nuts out in a small baking pan and place it in the oven. Toast the pecans until they are brown and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the toasted pecans from the baking pan to a small bowl and set them aside.
5. Place the butter in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners’ sugar and about 1/3 cup of the reserved orange juice, adding 1 tablespoon of juice at a time. Fold in the reserved 1 tablespoon of orange zest. Beat with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute longer.
6. To assemble the cake, transfer one layer, right side up, to a serving platter. Spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer of cake, right side up, on top of the first and frost the top. Repeat this process with the third layer. Use the remaining frosting to frost the side of the cake, working with smooth, clean strokes. Garnish the top of the cake with the toasted chopped pecans or strips of orange zest. To make slicing easier, place the uncovered cake in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes.
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, in a cake saver or loosely covered with waxed paper, in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to six months. Let the cake thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Tips for Baking a Three-Layer Cake
You need to keep the oven light on when baking a three-layer cake because if you’ve got one layer on the top rack, it will be done more quickly and runs the risk of overbaking. This is especially important in the Williamsburg Orange Cake recipe because the chopped pecans can tend to make the batter dry. That’s why I bake this cake at 325°F, which is a lower heat than usual and prevents overbaking. Layers in a 325°F oven will take a little longer to bake—these bake