Celebrate #ojaipixies season with my Ojai Pixie Tangerine Layered Poke Cake
Ingredients:
- 15.25 oz box white cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups milk
- 12-13 Ojai Pixie Tangerines, zested (divided), juiced (2 cups), reserve one whole tangerine for presentation
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 - .25 oz packets unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 8 oz powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla
extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and milk in a large bowl. Mix until moistened. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Divide batter mixture into pans. Bake for 34-38 minutes. When toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, cake is done. Remove from oven and cool on stove top or wire racks.
- While cakes are cooling, start the tangerine gelatin. In a small saucepan, bring 1½ cup of tangerine juice, sugar, and 1 tablespoon tangerine zest to a boil. In a pyrex cup or glass bowl, pour the gelatin packets into the reserved ½ cup juice to soften. When juice comes to a boil, remove from heat and pour hot juice mixture into gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin has dissolved. Reserve ½ cup of the tangerine gelatin mixture for decorating.
- When cakes are cool, use a chopstick or skewer and poke holes in the cakes. Pour remaining tangerine gelatin mixture on top of cakes, making sure the gelatin gets into all the holes. Cover and refrigerate cakes for 3 hours.
- When cakes are almost done, start frosting. In a mixer bowl, whip butter for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon tangerine zest, and 1 tablespoon reserved room temperature tangerine gelatin. Whisk on low speed until powdered sugar is just combined and increase speed to high for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and whisk for another 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Remove cakes from refrigerator. Place first layer on parchment paper, top side down. Place frosting on top, about ½” thick. Place the other cake layer, bottom side down. Frost top and sides of cake. Use spatula to smooth sides and top for straight sides and top. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Place leftover frosting in a piping bag with star tip.
- While cake frosting is in the freezer, peel or cut off rind on reserved tangerine. Remove segments and peel off membrane. You can also suprême tangerine by cutting in between membranes. Either technique will work. Reserve on a plate until cake is ready.
- When cake is chilled, place on a serving plate. Drizzle reserved room temperature tangerine sauce along the corner where the top and the side of cake meet so it drips down the side of the cake. Place tangerine wedges in a flower petal pattern on the top center of cake. Pipe a dolloped swirl of frosting in the middle of the tangerine petal pattern. Along the top perimeter of cake, pipe starbursts along the edge. Sprinkle tangerine zest on top.
