Breeze through your holiday baking with the Ankarsrum Assistent Original Stand Mixer. Its open design allows for full contact with the bowl when adding ingredients, and its powerful motor means quicker mixing, so your recipe comes together faster. Plus, its many attachments are suited to create any type of batter or dough. Give it a try with this stunning layer cake that will be the centerpiece of your holiday meal.
WINTER CITRUS-CRANBERRY CAKE
Makes 1 (8-inch) cakeÂ
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12 grams) orange zest
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 grams) unbleached cake flour
- 2½ teaspoons (13 grams) baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons (5 grams) kosher salt
- ¾ cup (180 grams) whole milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 grams) fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup (57 grams) neutral oil
- Cranberry Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Garnish: Sugared Cranberries (see Note below)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and orange zest until sugar is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Assemble Ankarsrum mixer with stainless steel bowl. Place dough knife in smaller hole, and position dough roller just off the side of bowl. Add butter, and beat by slowly increasing mixer speed to medium-high (6 o’clock) until creamy, about 1 minute, using scraper to help move butter around. (Butter might stick to the roller in the beginning.) Slowly add sugar mixture, scraping bowl frequently. Let mix until well combined and lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, beating until just combined. Beat in vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on lowest speed (12 o’clock), gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Move roller to 1 inch away from side of bowl, and increase mixer speed to medium-low (2 o’clock), mixing until combined.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together milk, orange juice, and oil. With mixer running, slowly add milk mixture to batter, beating until combined. Divide batter between prepared pans (about 2½ cups or 665 grams each).
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Level cooled cake layers if desired. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1½ cups (360 grams) Cranberry Buttercream on cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with sugared cranberries, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
To make sugared cranberries, heat ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar and ½ cup (120 grams) water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; let cool for 5 minutes.
Gently stir 1 cup (250 grams) fresh cranberries into syrup until well coated. Remove cranberries from syrup with a slotted spoon, letting excess drip off. Place cranberries in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet, and let them dry for 1 hour. Roll cranberries in granulated sugar until coated, and let stand until dry, about 1 hour.
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CRANBERRY BUTTERCREAM
Makes about 6½ cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup (118 grams) fresh cranberries
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (681 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 cups (720 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring cranberries, orange juice, and granulated sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook, stirring frequently, until cranberries have burst and mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool completely. (You should have about ½ cup mixture.)
- Transfer cranberry mixture to the work bowl of a food processor, and purée until smooth. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to purée the mixture.)
- Assemble Ankarsrum mixer with beater bowl and cookie beaters. Add butter; beat at medium-low speed (2 o’clock) until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until well combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed (12 o’clock), add salt, vanilla, and cooled cranberry mixture, beating until combined and stopping to scrape bowl thoroughly. Increase mixer speed to medium (4 o’clock), and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Use immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!