Tom Hopkins
Orange Cake with Grand Marnier Sauce
I use a prepared sponge cake from the supermarket for this recipe, but you can bake your own. The Suzette butter, which I also use in the Gratin of Crepes Suzette (page 346), makes an easy and flavorful buttercream.
The cake is served with a Grand Marnier sauce and garnished with thin slices of orange. I don’t use much sugar in the Suzette butter or in the sauce, because commercial cakes are quite sweet.
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 round sponge cake (8 ounces), about 7 inches in diameter and 1½ inches thick
Suzette Butter
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ teaspoons grated orange rind
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
Garnish
- 1 large seedless orange
Method
- Split the cake horizontally into 2 layers. Place one layer on a serving plate.
- Prepare the Suzette butter: Place the butter in a food processor and add the orange rind, orange juice, and confectioners’ sugar. Process until combined (At first the mixture may not blend; keep processing until the butter absorbs the juice.)
- Spread the Suzette butter over the top of the first cake layer and place the other cake layer on top. Sprinkle it with the 3 tablespoons orange juice. (At this point, the cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.)
- Prepare the sauce: Mix the sour cream, Grand Marnier, and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl.
- Set aside.
Recipe Source
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