Orange cake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:

Cakes

• 220g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pans
• 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pans
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 and 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp finely grated orange zest
• 0.5 cups of milk at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs at room temperature

Cream cheese frosting

• 2 x 220g packages cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 220 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• 2.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease the bottom and inside walls of two 20cm round cake tins with butter. Line the bottom of each tin with parchment paper, grease again with butter, and dust the entire tin with flour. Shake off any excess.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add the granulated sugar and orange zest and pulse several times. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized pieces of butter.
   
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.
3. Combine the milk, vanilla extract, and eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup with a spout. With the food processor running, pour in the milk mixture and pulse until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
4. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the cakes out onto the rack. Remove the parchment and cool completely.
   
   Cream cheese frosting:
   
   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
5. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the powdered sugar is incorporated and the icing is fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running at low speed, add the cream and continue beating until the icing is creamy and thick, about 1 more minute.
6. Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread 1 cup of frosting over it. Place the other cake layer on top and cover the entire cake, top and sides, with frosting.