Page 100 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

82 L U S C I O U S L A Y E R S

rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed up, on top of the first layer and frost the
to medium and beat 2 minutes more, top and sides of the cake with clean,
scraping down the sides again if needed. smooth strokes.
The batter should look well combined.
Store this cake, in a cake saver or
Divide the batter evenly between the pre-
under a glass dome, at room temperature
pared pans, smoothing it out with the
for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up
rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven
to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in alu-
side by side.
minum foil or in a cake saver, for up to
6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the
3. Bake the cakes until they spring back
refrigerator before serving.
when lightly pressed with your finger, 30
to 32 minutes. Remove the pans from the
oven and place them on wire racks to cool
for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around R
the edge of each layer and invert each onto
the Cake Mix Doctor says
a rack, then invert again onto another rack
so that the cakes are right side up. Allow
About that orange zest: Did you know
to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
you can grate the zest from oranges
ahead of time and freeze it in little
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Orange-Cocoa
plastic bags? That’s what my clever
Cream Cheese Frosting.
friend Martha Bowden does. I have
found the best tool for zesting is the
5. Place one cake layer, right side up,
Microplane (see Cool Cake-Baking
on a serving platter. Spread the top with
Tools, page 22). It grates only the zest,
frosting. Place the second layer, right side
leaving the bitter white part behind,
and the bald orange is smooth and
ready for eating or juicing.