Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- room temperature
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted
- then measured)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons grated orange peel
- divided
- 8 large navel oranges
- 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup coarsely crushed amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons)*
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
- melted
Instructions
- Bring milk and orange peel to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat.
- Using electric mixer, beat yolks in large bowl to blend.
- With machine running, add sugar and beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, about 4 minutes.
- Add flour, beating until well combined.
- Gradually beat in hot milk mixture.
- Return custard to same saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla.
- Transfer cream filling to medium bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface.
- Refrigerate cream filling overnight.
- (Can be made 2 days ahead.
- Keep refrigerated.)
- Bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Boil 5 minutes, swirling pan occasionally.
- Cool syrup slightly.
- Stir in Grand Marnier.
- Cover; chill until cold.
- (Can be made 2 days ahead.
- Keep chilled.)
- Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350F.
- Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.
- Line each pan with parchment paper round.
- Bring milk and butter almost to boil in small saucepan.
- Remove from heat.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
- Using electric mixer, beat eggs in large bowl on high speed 2 minutes.
- Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, scraping down sides occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium-high; add vanilla.
- Gradually beat in hot milk mixture in steady stream.
- Immediately add dry ingredients and beat until just blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl (batter will be thin).
- Mix in 3 teaspoons orange peel.
- Quickly divide batter between prepared pans.
- Bake until cakes are golden, pull away from sides of pans, and spring back when pressed in center, about 30 minutes.
- Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes.
- Invert cakes; peel off parchment paper.
- Turn cakes right side up on rack and cool completely.
- (Can be made 1 day ahead.
- Wrap in plastic and let stand at room temperature.)
- Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges.
- Working over strainer set over large bowl, cut between membranes to release segments.
- Transfer orange segments to paper towels to drain.
- Beat cream and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until cream holds peaks.
- Fold 1/2 cup whipped cream into cream filling, then fold in crushed amaretti and remaining 1 teaspoon grated orange peel.
- Using serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half, creating 4 layers.
- Place 1 layer on plate, cut side up; brush generously with syrup (about 6 tablespoons).
- Spread 3/4 cup filling over.
- Arrange 1 layer of orange segments (about 20) over filling.
- Repeat layering twice more with cake, syrup, filling, and orange segments.
- Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.
- Brush cake with syrup.
- Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with 1 cup whipped cream.
- Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake.
- Pipe cream in rosettes around top edge of cake.
- Cover center with orange segments.
- Brush oranges with melted apricot jam.
- Refrigerate cake 3 hours.
- (Can be made 1 day ahead.
- Keep refrigerated.)
- *Available at Italian markets and some supermarkets.
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