Wow. That’s all I can say about this cake it tastes so good! It’s passed the taste test with flying colors from multiple people. The sponge on this is light with a hint of Earl Grey and you can’t beat a light and fluffy Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
YOU WILL NEED: 4, 6 inch round cake pans
INGREDIENTS:
SPONGE:
•1 1/2 cups milk
•3 Earl Grey teabags
•1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (8 tablespoons)
•3 eggs
•1 cup granulated sugar
•2 cups gluten free flour mix
•2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
ORANGE CURD:
•3 egg yolks
•Juice of1 orange, plus the zest
•Juice of 1/2 lemon
•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1 tablespoon cornstarch
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
SWISS MERINGUE:
•3 egg whites
•1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1 inch sections
•1 cup granulated sugar
•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Preheat oven to 350ºF and line your cake pans with baking parchment.
2.) Bring the 1 1/4 cups of milk to simmer in a saucepan, you will know it is ready by the milk steaming slightly. You can also microwave for about 2 minutes, in 30 second intervals until you see steam. Add the teabags, and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the batter.
3.) In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and mix again. In a separate bowl, mix together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4.) After the tea has steeped for about 15 minutes, remove the tea bags. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the tea mixture to the rest of the batter until it is all combined. Mix for another 2-3 minutes until everything is well incorporated. Evenly divide the batter between the 4 prepared pans. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
5.) Once the cakes are cooked, transfer them out of their pans to wire cooling racks to fully cool. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the orange curd and buttercream.
6.) To make the orange curd, combine all curd ingredients except for the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Set aside to fully cool.
7.) To make the buttercream, prepare a double boiler by putting about 1-2 inches of water in a medium saucepan. Bring this to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar, and place the bowl over the simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches a temperature of 160ºF.
8.) Immediately transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed for about 10-15 minutes, or until the bowl of the mixer no longer feels warm, and the mixture is glossy and has stiff peaks. Once it reaches this point, switch to the paddle attachment and slowly add in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, only as fast as it can be absorbed. Once all the butter has been added, add in the vanilla extract and salt.
9.) If the buttercream is still too thin after everything has been added, let it sit in the fridge for 10-12 minutes, then whip back up with the whisk attachment for 1-2 minutes and it should come together.
10.) To assemble the cake, place a layer on a cake stand, pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge and fill the center with 1/3 of the orange curd. Repeat with each layer, then cover the cake with the remaining buttercream. Serve in slice and store, covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
