My recipe inheritance has a bounty of sponge cake recipes. This one jumped out, because of its use of egg whites. I made some adjustments to modernize it for my birthday celebration. Recipe testing is even more fun with a purpose. By celebration, I mean my husband and I ate all of this cake, P-A-R-T-Y. Blood oranges were not part of the original recipe but I couldn’t pass them up at my local grocery store. Feel free to use regular Navel oranges or orange juice as she did in the original recipe. I also added the marmalade, between the layers, to amplify the orange flavor.

Yields Approximately 8-10 slices

Ingredients

For the Cake Batter

5 Eggs Separated

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup Sifted Cake Flour

2 Tablespoons of Flour and Butter for the cake pans

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

5 Tablespoons of Blood Orange Juice

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

1 Package 8 oz Brick Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoons of Butter

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Tablespoons of Orange Marmalade (to put between the 2 layers)

Some Items Needed

2- 8″ or 9″ Round Cake Pans

Parchment Paper

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Mixing Bowls

Food Scale

Hand Mixer

Cake Plate or Cardboard Cake Circles

Cake Turner

Off-Set Spatula

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Line two 8″ or 9″ round cake pan with parchment paper circles using butter to adhere it to the inside of the pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan and lightly dust with cake flour. Put to the side.

Whisk the Egg Yolks and Sugar until well combined, to ribbon stage (may also use a hand mixer). Gently mix/whisk in the vanilla, orange juice, and salt. Sift in the flour and mix until just combined. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer, to almost stiff peaks and gently fold into mixture, using a spoon or spatula.

Place each pan on a scale and evenly divide cake batter into two parts. If you don’t have a scale you can try your luck at estimating.

Bake cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes clean.

Unmold the cake before completely cooled and allow to continue to cool on a wire rack. Do not attempt to frost until the cake is completely cooled.

Using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. When frosting, combine the Marmalade and an 1/8 cup of cream cheese frosting to make the filling between the layers. Sandwich the 2 layer together. I usually invert the top layer so my smooth cake bottom becomes the top of the cake. Place the cake on a flat cake plate or cardboard cake circle. Putting the remaining frosting in one or two large spoon fulls on the top of the cake, frost using an offset spatula and a cake turner. Apply a level coating of frosting around the entire cake. Try not to lift the off-set spatula off of the cake while frosting. Once the cake covered in frosting go over the entire cake making; s, c and/or u swirling letters with the off-set spatula. Refrigerate to set the frosting and serve cold.