Brighten up cakes with fresh citrus

(Citrus can brighten up a cake and frosting for spring/Gannett News Service photo)

Bright citrus flavors in cakes and cookies spark the taste buds, offering a refreshing taste of spring.
I love lemon and orange in cookies and cakes, so I was very happy to find a feature on citrus cakes from Gannett News Service for today's Busy Cook in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
There you will find recipes for a Margarita Cake and Lemon Cake from Lani Greer of Lani Cakes in Gilbert, Ariz.

Here's another one that is just begging to be made, topped with an orange-cream cheese frosting:

Orange Creamsicle Cake

For the cake:

1. Vegetable cooking spray
2. 3 cups sifted unbleached flour
3. 1 tablespoon baking powder
4. 1/2 cup butter, softened
5. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1 small orange yogurt
8. 3/4 cup milk
9. 3 egg whites
10. 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
    

For orange cream-cheese frosting:

1. 1/2 cup butter
2. 2 teaspoons shortening
3. 8 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
4. 3 cups powdered sugar
5. 1/3 cup orange juice
6. Orange-rind curls for garnish
   

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray 2 6-inch cake pans with vegetable cooking spray and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour and baking powder; set aside.
• With mixer, cream together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy; add vanilla and yogurt, beating well.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour and beating well.
• In a separate bowl, using grease-free utensils, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, but not too dry.
• Fold into batter gently along with orange zest.
• Divide batter into the two pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely before frosting.
  

To make frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl, add butter, shortening, cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange juice.
• Mix until well blended.
• Adjust consistency with powdered sugar or juice.
• Frost cake and garnish with orange-rind curls.
• Makes 8 to 10 servings.