Orange And Grapefruit Cheesecake Cream Cake

There's nothing quite like the refreshing taste of fresh fruits. No matter the season, taking a bite of a juicy orange is a treat for all of your senses. We wanted to capture the tangy, citrusy magic of oranges and grapefruits for this stunning dessert. Candied oranges and grapefruits get baked right in to the cake's outer layer, but that's only the beginning! A homemade orange cheesecake cream center and a hidden grapefruit jello core bring this elegant, original dessert to absolute perfection. Add a few finishing touches, like a pink mirror glaze and some colorful whipped cream accents and this cake is ready to impress even the most seasoned pastry chefs. It might take a bit of extra effort, but this cake is bound to add some extra zest to your life!

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Time: 11 hours
Difficulty Level: Advanced

You'll Need:

For the candied oranges & grapefruits:

  • 1 orange
  • 1 grapefruit
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • pink & orange food coloring (optional)

For the orange & grapefruit cake:

  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1⅔ cups flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the orange cheesecake cream:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ⅔ cup orange juice
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1¼ cups cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
  • 2 tbsp water

For the grapefruit jello:

  • 1 grapefruit, chopped
  • ⅓ cup grapefruit juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
  • 1 tbsp water

For the decorations:

  • pink mirror glaze
  • 1 cup whipped cream 
  • orange food coloring

Extra:

  • silicone baking mat
  • piping bag
  • 5-inch springform pan
  • 7-inch springform pan

Here's How:

1. For the candied fruit, cut the orange and the grapefruit into thin slices, keeping the skins on. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Divide the sugar water into 2 separate saucepans, place the orange slices in 1 saucepan and the grapefruit slices in the other, then let the fruit soak for 3 hours. If you'd like a more brightly colored cake, add some pink and orange food coloring to the corresponding saucepans while the fruits are soaking.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with a silicone baking mat. Cut the candied grapefruit slices in half and arrange 3 halved sliced in a row on the silicone baking mat. Add a row of 4 whole candied orange slices below the grapefruit slices, then add a final row of 3 halved grapefruit slices below, so that the top ⅔ of the silicone baking mat contains the candied fruit.

3. For the cake batter, beat together the sugar and egg whites. Mix the egg white mixture together with the remaining ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Transfer the cake batter to a piping bag and pipe it on top of the candied slices of fruit and on the surrounding silicone baking mat. Transfer the baking tray to the oven and bake the orange & grapefruit cake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Once it has finished baking, take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely.

4. Carefully flip the cake over onto a clean cutting board and peel off the silicone baking mat.

5. Cut the section of the cake containing the fruit into 2 long strips that are each 2–3 inches wide, cutting the orange slices in half in the process. Use a knife to trace ½ of a 7-inch springform pan twice on the bottom ⅓ of the cake so that you've cut out 2 semicircles.

6. Lightly grease the 7-inch springform pan and wrap the fruit-filled cake strips around the inside edges of the pan, making sure the fruit is facing outwards. Place the 2 semicircular pieces of cake on the base of the springform pan.

7. For the orange cheesecake cream, heat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoon of the sugar in a saucepan on the stove, then add in the milk, corn starch, and ⅓ cup of the orange juice. Bring  the mixture to a light boil and let it thicken, stirring continuously, then add in the butter. Once the butter has been added, remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool down slightly, then stir in the cream cheese and the remaining sugar and orange juice. While the mixture is cooling down, mix the unflavored gelatin powder with 1 tablespoon of water, then heat the mixture in the microwave so that the unflavored gelatin powder dissolves. Stir gelatin mixture into the orange cheesecake cream, transfer it to a piping bag, and pipe ½ of it on top of the cake in the springform pan.

8. For the grapefruit jello, soak the unflavored gelatin powder in the water, then heat the mixture up in the microwave so that the unflavored gelatin powder dissolves completely. Combine the gelatin mixture, grapefruit juice, and sugar in a saucepan and heat it gradually on the stove. Stir in the chopped grapefruit, remove the mixture from the heat, and pour the grapefruit jello into the 5-inch springform pan. Transfer the springform pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours.

9. After the grapefruit jello has chilled, remove it from the springform pan and place it on top of the layer of orange cheesecake cream.

10. Pipe the remainder of the orange cheesecake cream on top of the layer of grapefruit jello, transfer the springform pan to the refrigerator, and let the cake chill for 4 hours.

11. Once the cake has chilled, pour a thin layer of pink mirror glaze onto the top of the cake. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and let it chill briefly.

12. Mix ½ cup of whipped cream with some orange food coloring and transfer it to a piping bag. Transfer ½ cup of uncolored whipped cream to a separate piping bag and pipe small peaks of white and orange whipped cream around the outer edge of the center of the cake.

This citrusy orange & grapefruit cheesecake cream cake is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the tastebuds! Refreshing, fruity, and fun – what's not to love?

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