Naked orange and nectarine cake
If you’ve not heard the term ‘naked cake’ before you might be perplexed as to its meaning. Quite simply, it refers to a style of cake where the layers are exposed, rather than covered with a frosting, icing or other external embellishment.
TOTAL TIME 2 hours 20 minutes | SERVES 12
INGREDIENTS
CAKE LAYERS
- 6 eggs
- 165 g caster sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp finely grated orange zest
- 225 g cups flour
- 75 g butter, melted, cooled
- 600 ml heavy cream
- 1 ½ tbsps finely grated orange zest extra
- 55 g icing sugar
MERINGUE
- 3 egg whites
- 165 g caster sugar
POACHED NECTARINES
- 1.2 kgs nectarines
- 110 g caster sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ½ cup orange juice
METHOD
CAKE LAYERS
PREHEAT the oven to 180°C. Grease three 20cm round sandwich cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper.
BEAT eggs and caster sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Beat in the rind. Fold in sifted flour and butter. Divide mixture among pans.
BAKE cakes for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.
REDUCE the oven to 120°C.
MERINGUE
DRAW a 20cm circle on three sheets of baking paper; place paper, marked-side down, on three oven trays.
BEAT egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves after each addition.
SPREAD meringue just inside the marked circle on the trays.
BAKE for 1 hour or until dry to touch.
COOL in the oven with the door ajar.
POACHED NECTARINES
Cut each nectarine into three cheeks. Stir sugar, the water, brandy and juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add nectarines; simmer for 10 minutes or until nectarines are just tender. Cool in syrup.
ASSEMBLE
BEAT cream, extra rind and the icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Reserve ⅕ cup for top of cake.
STRAIN poached nectarines over a jug or bowl; reserve syrup and 4 nectarine cheeks. Place one cake on a serving plate. Brush cake with some of the reserved syrup; spread with one-fifth of the remaining cream mixture. Top with a round of meringue. Spread with another fifth of the cream mixture, half the nectarines and a cake layer. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of meringue and syrup. Refrigerate for 2 hours to allow meringue to soften.
MEANWHILE, place remaining syrup in a small saucepan; bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 8 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Cool.
SWIRL reserved cream on cake; top with reserved nectarine cheeks. Drizzle with reduced syrup.
FOOD TEAM TIP: You can use peaches or apricots instead of the nectarines, if you like. Cake is best assembled on the day of serving. Meringue layers, cakes and nectarines can be made a day ahead. Store meringue layers and cakes in separate airtight containers at room temperature. Keep nectarines refrigerated. Undecorated cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Naked orange and nectarine cake
Ingredients
- CAKE LAYERS
- 6 eggs
- 165 g caster sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp finely grated orange zest
- 225 g cups flour
- 75 g butter, melted, cooled
- 600 ml heavy cream
- 1 ½ tbsps finely grated orange zest extra
- 55 g icing sugar
- MERINGUE
- 3 egg whites
- 165 g caster sugar
- POACHED NECTARINES
- 1.2 kgs nectarines
- 110 g caster sugar
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup brandy
- ½ cup orange juice
Instructions
For the Cake layers
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease three 20cm round sandwich cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper.
Beat eggs and caster sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Beat in the rind. Fold in sifted flour and butter. Divide mixture among pans.
Bake cakes for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.
Reduce the oven to 120°C.
For the Meringue
DRAW a 20cm circle on three sheets of baking paper; place paper, marked-side down, on three oven trays.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves after each addition.
Spread meringue just inside the marked circle on the trays
Bake for 1 hour or until dry to touch.
Cool in the oven with the door ajar.
For the Poached nectarines
Cut each nectarine into three cheeks'. Stir sugar, the water, brandy and juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add nectarines; simmer for 10 minutes or until nectarines are just tender. Cool in syrup.
Assemble.
Beat cream, extra rind and the icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Reserve ⅕ cup for top of cake.
Strain poached nectarines over a jug or bowl; reserve syrup and 4 nectarine cheeks. Place one cake on a serving plate. Brush cake with some of the reserved syrup; spread with one-fifth of the remaining cream mixture. Top with a round of meringue. Spread with another fifth of the cream mixture, half the nectarines and a cake layer. Repeat layering, finishing with a layer of meringue and syrup. Refrigerate for 2 hours to allow meringue to soften.
Meanwhile, place remaining syrup in a small saucepan; bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 8 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Cool.
Swirl reserved cream on cake; top with reserved nectarine cheeks. Drizzle with reduced syrup.
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ALSO SEE: Armenian style eight layer cake
Feature image: Aremedia
