Gray's Least Favorite Dreamsicle Cake

A delicious and gently orange-flavored cake, but it's not for everyone. ;)

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake, orange

1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix, sifted Any cake mix WITHOUT pudding in the mix.
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1⅓ c orange juice
1 c full fat sour cream
4 tsp orange extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange (or 2 tsp dried orange zest) I let the dried zest soak in a bit of the above orange juice before adding to the batter ingredients
orange food coloring or gel

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 8x2 inch round cake pans.
Add all dry ingredients to the bowl of your mixer and whisk on low at least 30 seconds to blend thoroughly.
Add the remaining wet ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix for 1 more minute on medium speed. (Don't overmix.)
Add orange gel coloring to get desired tint (optional). And if you forget to add it before you get to the next step (like me), you can add a few drops right in the batter and stir around in the cake pan, as demonstrated in the picture. If you want to get fancy, you could also do different color batches for each cake pan for an hombre presentation.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check at 25 minutes with a toothpick inserted into the center, which should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. If not clean, bake a few more minutes at a time until done.
Cool in the pans 5-10 minutes and then turn out the layers onto cooling racks.
(This makes 7½ cups of batter, and works well for cupcakes.)

While making the cake layers, or 15 minutes before prep, put your mixer bowl (metal is best) and beaters in the refrigerator to cool. (A handheld mixer works great for this if you don't want to use your stand mixer.)
Using the cooled bowl and beaters, combine the pudding mix, pinch salt, heavy cream and orange extract. Start a low speed until all ingredients are combined and then whip on high speed until the pudding is thick and fluffy, like a mousse. If it gets too thick, just add small amounts of the heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. But a thick mousse will help with construction of your cake.
Refrigerate mousse until ready to construct cake.

Cut up your butter and put in the mixer bowl while preparing the first mixture.
In a small saucepan, whisk flour, milk, extract and vanilla until smooth. (You can also use a ball whisk in a container to make your ingredients smooth before putting in the saucepan, my preferred method.)
Over medium heat, stir constantly until ingredients thicken up, somewhat to the consistency of brownie batter. Try to avoid lumps in the mixture by stirring throughout.
Remove from the heat, cover (to avoid skin) and let cool COMPLETELY. If you need to hasten cooling, put in the fridge or put on ice in the sink.
While first mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light, fluffy and you don't feel any graininess.
Add the completely cooled flour mixture and beat the heck out of it. Your frosting should be light and fluffy, resembling whipped cream.

Make sure your cake layers are completely cooled before starting.
Place first layer on a plate/pedestal. Pipe a dam of frosting about ½ inch from the edge of the cake, and then spread the orange filling inside the dam.
On the bottom of the next layer, spread ¼ cup of the apricot jam/preserves (optional). Place that layer on top of the first layer and then repeat frosting, filling and preserves with the remaining layers.
Put your cake in the refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes, and then use the frosting to put a crumb layer of frosting over the entire cake. Put back in the fridge for another 30-60 minutes.
Put the final layer of frosting all over your cake, and pipe decoration frosting as desired. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.