Ingredients

6 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, or both
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus pinch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange Butter Cream Frosting, recipe follows
Orange peel or zest, for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to
325 degrees F.

Separate eggs carefully, putting whites in a large mixing bowl and yolks in another large
mixing bowl. Beat egg yolks until light and foamy. Slowly add the water. Gradually beat in
the sugar, then vanilla and/or almond extract; beat until pale and thick in texture (total
beating time can be as long as 7 minutes). Sift flour again with salt and baking powder.
Return to sifter and fold flour mixture into egg yolk mixture, sifting in a little at a
time.

Beat egg whites gently until foamy. Add a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar. Increase
the mixer speed and beat until they form moist, glossy peaks.

Pour the egg yolk mixture in thin stream over the entire surface of the egg white mixture,
gently cutting and folding with rubber spatula, making sure everything is completely
folded. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch round tube pan with a removable bottom. Draw a thin
spatula gently through the batter to get rid of any large air pockets.

Bake on the second rack from the bottom of the oven for 1 hour. (The cake tends to fall a
small amount after 50 minutes, so do not worry.)

Invert pan onto a rack and let cool out of the pan for 1 1/2 hours. Frost when cake is
completely cooled. If desired, garnish cake with orange peel or
zest.

Ingredients

Orange Butter Cream
Frosting:

Directions

2 sticks butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Orange juice

Combine butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Add just enough orange juice to thin the
frosting to a spreading consistency.