1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
7 large eggs, 2 left whole, 5 separated
2 medium oranges, zested to yield 2 tablespoons zest
3/4 cup orange juice (from oranges above)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange Glaze, recipe below
Adjust rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk
sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl (at least
4-quart size). Whisk in two whole eggs, five egg yolks (reserve whites),
orange juice and zest, oil, and vanilla extract until batter is just
smooth.
Pour reserved egg whites into large bowl; beat at medium speed with
electric mixer until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar,
increase speed to medium-high, then beat whites until very thick and
stiff, just short of dry, 9 to 10 minutes with hand-held mixer and 5 to 7
minutes in KitchenAid or other standing mixer. With large rubber
spatula, fold whites into batter, smearing in any blobs of white that
resist blending with flat side of spatula.
Pour batter into large tube pan (9-inch diameter, 16-cup capacity). Rap
pan against countertop five times to rupture any large air pockets. If
using two-piece pan, grasp on both sides with your hands while firmly
pressing down on the tube with thumbs to keep batter from seeping
underneath pan during this rapping process. Wipe off any batter that may
have dripped or splashed onto inside walls of pan with paper towel.
Bake cake until wire cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 55
to 65 minutes. Immediately turn cake upside down to cool. If pan does
not have prongs around rim for elevating cake, invert pan over bottle or
funnel, inserted through tube. Let cake hang until completely cold,
about 2 hours.
To unmold, turn pan upright. Run frosting spatula or thin knife around
pan's circumference between cake and pan wall, always pressing against
the pan. Use cake tester to loosen cake from tube. For one-piece pan,
bang it on counter several times, then invert over serving plate. For
two-piece pan, grasp tube and lift cake out of pan. If glazing the cake,
use a fork or a paring knife to gently scrape all the crust off the
cake. Loosen cake from pan bottom with spatula or knife, then invert
cake onto plate. (Can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room
temperature 2 days or refrigerated 4 days.)
Orange Glaze
4 - 5 tablespoons orange juice
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
Beat butter, 4 tablespoons of the orange juice, sugar and zest in medium bowl until
smooth. Let glaze stand 1 minute, then try spreading a little on cake.
If cake threatens to tear, thin glaze with up to 1 tablespoon more
liquid. A little at a time, spread glaze over cake top, letting excess
dribble down sides. Let cake stand until glaze dries, about 30 minutes.
If you like, spread dribbles to make a thin, smooth coat.