The cake recipe is from “My Favorite Recipes” by Marie-Denis Célestin. It included its own frosting but I chose to go a different route. I have replicated the cake batter ingredients below and written the steps in my own words.
I prepared these candied fruits from our homegrown citruses. The slices are sour oranges and the peels from citruses. I use the word citrus instead of oranges because I cannot confidently say which variety our fruits belong to. But you can definitely prepare them using oranges and oranges only.
4orangesyou can use a combination of sour and regular oranges
4cupsof water
2cupsof sugar
1cinnamon stick
Start anise
All-spice
Sugarfor sprinkling
For the cake
3sticks of butter
4eggs
1 ½cupof sugar
2 ¾cupsof flour sifted
3tspof baking powder sifted
1tbspof grated orange peel
1tspvanilla
1cuporange juice
Instructions
For the candied fruits
Wash the oranges
Slice 2 of them thinly
Remove as many seeds as possible without removing the pulp
Transfer to a pot
Make incisions in the remaining 2 oranges
Carefully separate the peel from the pulp
Using a knife, try to remove as much of the inner white peel as you can
Add the outer peel to the pot
Cover with water and bring to a boil
Drain that first cooking water and discard
Repeat the process of covering and bringing to a boil a second time
Discard that water as well. These two steps are essential to reduce the acidity and bitterness especially if you’re including sour oranges
Remove the fruit slices and peel from the pot
Measure 4 cups of water
Add the sugar and sweet spices
Bring to a boil until the sugar has fully melted
Add the fruit slices and peel
Let simmer for about 45 minutes
At that point, remove the fruits from the cooking liquid and line them on a parchment covered tray
Sprinkle generously with sugar and let air dry for about 24 hours. The fruits will retain their softness. Should you wish to harden them, you can dry them in the oven. But I definitely prefer the soft version.
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer
Add the eggs one at a time while still whipping the mix
Incorporate the sifted flour and baking powder with the mixer still running
Slowly pour in the orange juice and whip until fully incorporated
Add the vanilla and mix well
Spread the batter evenly in 3 buttered and floured molds
Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes
Remove from the oven and let cool
Once cool, unmold by turning the molds upside down onto a flat surface
Putting it all together
Layer the 3 cakes by spreading some buttercream in between each layer
Cover the cake with a thin layer of buttercream
Decorate with the candied fruits
Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving