Sunshine Citrus Cake Recipes

SUNNY CITRUS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Invert the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan (to make it easier to slide the cake off the bottom) then lock on the sides of the pan. Lightly grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, lemon and orange zests and sugar. Beat on medium for several minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs, one at a time and blend just until the yolk disappears. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend again.
• In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the vanilla, sour cream, lemon juice and orange juice and stir to combine (the mixtures may seem curdled). Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat on low until incorporated. Add ⅓ of the juice mixture and blend until smooth. Do not over beat. Repeat adding ½ of the remaining flour, then ½ of the remaining juice until both are incorporated. Add the last of the flour and juice and blend once more. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and gently stir with a spatula once more.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. A few moist crumbs is okay - but no wet batter.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing the sides. Cool completely before glazing.
• Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a deep saucepan or skillet large enough to hold the sliced citrus in a single layer. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Add the sliced citrus and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning once or twice until tender, but not falling apart. Remove to a wire rack to cool. The remaining simple syrup can be refrigerated and used to sweeten smoothies, tea or cocktails.
• Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add boiling water or additional sugar until you reach the desired pourable consistency. Drizzle over the cake and top with candied citrus if desired.

CITRUS SUNSHINE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.
• Add the butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, oil and citrus zests to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and beater. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape the bowl.
• Add 1 1/2 cups cake flour and blend on low to combine. Add the cream and buttermilk and blend on low to combine. Scrape the bowl. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cake flour, blending on low to combine and then raise the mixer to medium speed and beat for 4 minutes. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 65 to 70 minutes. The cake will rise to fill the pan and will settle slightly once removed from the oven.
• Meanwhile, for the syrup: While the cake bakes, juice the lemon and oranges to make 1/2 cup of citrus juice. Transfer the juice to a small saucepan and add the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat. Reserve the syrup at room temperature while the cake bakes.
• When you've removed the cake from the oven, use a toothpick to pierce the top crumb of the cake about 30 times and then slowly pour the syrup evenly over the hot cake. Cool the cake in the pan for about 30 minutes before turning out of the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

SUNNY CITRUS CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. Place on a baking sheet., In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar and zest; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake until edges are lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Divide batter into thirds. To 1 portion, add lime juice, lime zest and green food coloring. Pour batter over crust., Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, about 25 minutes., Meanwhile, to another portion of batter, add lemon juice, lemon zest and 3 drops yellow food coloring. Carefully remove pan from oven. Gently spoon over lime layer. Return to oven; bake until center is just set and top appears dull, about 25 minutes., To remaining batter, add orange juice, orange zest, red food coloring and remaining 3 drops yellow food coloring. Carefully remove pan from oven. Gently spoon over lemon layer., Return to oven; bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 30-35 minutes. Carefully remove pan from oven., In a small bowl, whisk topping ingredients. Gently spoon over cheesecake in small dollops; spread carefully. Return to oven; bake 5 minutes., Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan. If desired, top with orange, lime and lemon slices. Refrigerate leftovers.

SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Separate eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together three times.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat yolks until lemon colored. mix in sugar a little at a time. Stir in the lemon extract, vanilla extract and boiling water until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, and fold into the batter.
• Pour the batter into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, and invert the pan over a bottle. Cool and remove from pan.

SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. jelly-roll pan with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and citrus zest. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer to prepared pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack; remove paper. Cool completely., For filling, in a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat., In a small bowl, whisk a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Gently stir in lemon juice. Press plastic wrap onto surface of filling; cool slightly. Refrigerate until cold., For frosting, in a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, orange juice, vanilla, orange zest and salt until smooth. Tint orange with yellow and red food coloring. , Trim edges of cake; cut crosswise into thirds. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Insert lollipops in top for flowers. Refrigerate leftovers.

SUNSHINE LEMON POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325; generously spray a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray/baking spray; set aside.
• Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
• Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let sit at least 30 minutes.
• Invert onto serving plate.
• Can be sliced warm but also cools very quickly.

CITRUS POUND CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, lemon zest and orange zest. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with yogurt. Beat just until combined., Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough lemon juice to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with candied lemon and orange peel.

MEMAW'S LEMON SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).
• Beat lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, white sugar, eggs, 1 cup peach nectar, and vegetable oil in a bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes before removing cake to finish cooling on rack.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup peach nectar, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a bowl to make a smooth frosting.
• Place cake on a serving platter; poke holes in top of the cake with a fork. Pour frosting slowly over the cake, allowing frosting to soak into the holes and drizzle down the sides of the cake.

SUNSHINE CAKE WITH CITRUS BUTTER CREAM

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Put sugar and zests in a food processor and pulse until blended well, about 30 seconds. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat butter in large bowl of standing electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar mixture and beat at high speed 5 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add one fourth of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Beat in milk until just blended. Beat in remaining flour mixture alternately with juices in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly between cake pans and smooth tops. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• Make buttercream:
• Heat whites and sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved and a thermometer registers 160°F. Remove bowl from heat and beat mixture in standing electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick, glossy peaks form. If mixture is still warm, continue beating until cool.
• With mixer running, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add liqueur and lemon juice, beating on high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 10 minutes. If buttercream begins to separate, beat on high speed until smooth.
• Assemble cake:
• Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup buttercream. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream.

SUNSHINE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks on high until thickened and lemon-colored. Add water, lemon verbena and vanilla. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. beat for 4-5 minutes or until mixture doubles in volume. Combine flour and baking powder; sprinkle 1/4 cupful over batter and fold in until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture; set aside. , In another bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Pour into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 45-50 minutes. Immediately invert the pan; cool completely. Run a knife around sides of pan and remove cake to a serving plate. , In a bowl, cream 2 cups sugar, butter, lemon juice and extracts. Slowly add remaining sugar. If needed, beat in a small amount of water until the frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake. Garnish with daisies and lemon verbena if desired.