a little of each

Stephanie says: This cake would also be delicious with an orange cream cheese frosting. Heck, bologna could be delicious with enough cream cheese frosting.

Syrup:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup granulated sugar

Cake:

3 cups cake flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk at room temperature

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbl grated orange zest

Frosting:

¾ cup sour cream, chilled

¾ cup heavy cream, chilled

3 Tbl granulated sugar

Filling:

1 cup orange marmalade

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. To prepare the orange syrup, stir together orange juice and sugar until completely dissolved; set aside for spooning over the baked cake layers.

To make the cake, sift flour, baking soda and salt together onto a piece of wax paper. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then mix in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next. Blend in 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk; repeat, ending with the remaining third of the flour. Make sure each addition is fully blended before proceeding to the next. Stir in the vanilla and orange zest, and divide the batter between 2 round 9-by-2 inch cake pans that have been buttered, floured and lined with wax paper or parchment. Spread the batter evenly in the pans, and drop each pan sharply on the kitchen counter to remove any large air pockets from the cake batter. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool on a rack in their pans for 20 minutes. Pierce the layers all over, about 1 inch apart with a toothpick or skewer. Spoon the reserved orange syrup over the cake, dividing evenly between the layers and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Allow the layers to cool completely in the pans.

To fill and frost the cake, while the layers are cooling, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream and sugar in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip until thick enough to spread, and refrigerate until needed. Once the layers are completely cooled, turn one out onto a cake plate, and carefully peel off the wax paper from the bottom. Heat the marmalade gently until it begins to liquefy. Spread two-thirds of the marmalade over the cake layer, spreading it all the way to the edges. Turn the remaining layer out directly on top of the first. Again remove the wax paper from the bottom, and spoon the remaining marmalade onto the center of the cake, leaving a one inch border around the edge. Frost the sides and top one-inch border with the reserved frosting, leaving the marmalade exposed in the middle. Refrigerate for two hours or longer before serving. Cake can be made the night before.