Orange cake

I rarely make cakes as there is rarely an occasion, and I like to stick to healthy foods, whenever possible. This particular one was for my friend, who wanted the recipe more than the cake :-)

Ingredients
cake:
4 eggs
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp grated orange zest
150g confectioner's sugar
100g flour
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3 tbsp hot water
1 package vanilla pudding powder (the cooking kind)

creme:
1 package vanilla pudding powder (the cooking kind)
2 cups pulp-free orange juice
400mL whipping cream
80g confectioner's sugar

topping:
250g confectioner's sugar
0.5 cup water
4 oranges

Preparation
Cook the pudding using orange juice and the sugar. When thick, cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely in the fridge.

While it's cooling, prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Grease and flour an 11 inch spring form cake shape.

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar, salt, orange zest and water until fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and the pudding powder. Add to the egg mix and blend. Finally whip up the egg whites and carefully fold them into the rest of the cake mix.

Pour into the cake pan and bake until it passes the toothpick test.

Remove onto a cookie rack and allow to cool.

When the cake is cool, cut into three layers, using a cake knife, or non-waxed tooth floss.

When the cake layers are prepared, take your orange pudding and mix it up with a mixer until smooth and soft. Then whip up the cream until it's a hard foam, and fold it into the orange pudding until evenly mixed.

Spread onto the cake layers and coat the cake using the same creme as well. Allow to rest in the fridge for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, for the topping, use the water and sugar to cook a syrup. Clean the oranges from as much of the white peel as possible. Slice them into 1/4 inch slices and soak them in small batches for three minutes in the hot syrup.

Remove onto a cookie rack and allow to cool

When the cake is ready, top it with the orange slices. Serve.

I imagine this cake would be delicious with a mango creme and mango slices as well!