The thing about being a baker is that you tend to make your own birthday cakes. I don’t mind making my own cake, but I really seem to have a hard time deciding what kind to make. I sat on the couch with Ava yesterday and we poured over cookbooks trying to come up with something to make. We kicked around lemon, coconut, raspberry, cookies and cream, and caramel. I have already done so many desserts with those flavors. We couldn’t decide so we asked around. The conversation went a little like this:
Touche. I guess that I have a bit of a caramel problem. My husband says that caramel is to me as buffalo sauce is to him. I am glad that I decided to go in a different direction, because this cake is cake that I wanted and I didn’t even know it. It is light, fluffy, and citrusy. The mascarpone in the whipped cream frosting not only adds richness, but it helps keep it stable. It frosts well and holds its shape. A perfect cake for me to welcome 37.
Lisa Leonard Designs sent me this beautiful cake topper and I absolutely love it. I am a big fan of her jewelry and have been eyeing this piece for ages. This cake topper is going to see many, many, cakes and I look forward to using it to celebrate my love’s birthdays. She is extremely generous and offering you a chance to buy a beautiful cake topper or piece of jewelry. You can enter at the bottom of this post.
Orange Cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/3 cups Dixie Crystals sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange Vanilla Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
8 ounces mascarpone, room temperature
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons orange zest
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add oil, egg yolks, and orange juice. Beat at medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Stir in zest.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites.
Beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
Here is how I get my cakes to be nice and flat. You need 2 (9-inch) cake pans, a baking sheet, and Bake Even strips.
Spray the pans with baking spray. Or you can butter and flour them, I am lazy and don’t bother to do that. Get the strips nice and wet. Wrap them around the cake pans. Place both cake pans on the baking sheet. You do not need to put them on the baking sheet, but I think that it is easier to get them in and out of the oven easier.
Divide batter evenly between the pans.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 22 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack.
Add the mascarpone to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add about 1/2 cup of the cream and beat until combined. Add the rest of the cream.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Whip until peaks form.
Frost cake with frosting.
Add your Happy Birthday cake topper. Make a wish.

Creamsicle Cake
Ingredients
Orange Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/3 cups Dixie Crystals sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 5 large eggs separated
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange Vanilla Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
- 8 ounces mascarpone room temperature
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons orange zest
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, egg yolks, and orange juice. Beat at medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Stir in zest.
- Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Pour the batter into 2 (9-inch) cake pans that have been sprayed with baking spray. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 22 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Add the mascarpone to the bowl of an electric mixer. Add about 1/2 cup of the cream and beat until combined. Add the rest of the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Whip until peaks form. Frost cake with frosting.