Sunnys Sunshine Cake Recipes

SUNSHINE CITRUS CAKE

Steps:

• Fill the bottom pot of your double boiler with 1-2 inches of water. (Or use the DIY double boiler method listed in the notes.) Place on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, reduce to low heat to keep the water at a simmer. Place egg yolks, egg, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt into the top pot of your double boiler. Using a silicone whisk (avoid metal because it leaves an aftertaste), whisk until completely blended and then continue to whisk as the curd cooks. Whisk and cook until the mixture becomes thick and is the consistency of hollandaise sauce or a really thick soup, about 10 minutes or when an instant read thermometer reaches 160°F (71°C). If curd isn't thickening, turn up the heat and constantly whisk. Remove pan from heat. Cut the butter into 6 separate pieces and then whisk into the curd until butter has melted and combined. Pour curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top so it is touching the top of the curd. This prevents a skin from forming on top. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Place in refrigerator to speed up cooling. Once cool, the plastic wrap can be removed. Refrigerate the curd for up to about 10 days or for longer storage, you can freeze the cooled curd for up to 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying. Makes 1 heaping cup.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 6×2 inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the small cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then add the citrus zest. Beat on medium-high speed until combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Add half of the flour mixture (just eyeball it), half of the milk, and half of the citrus juice. Beat on low speed until mostly combined, and then add the remaining flour mixture, milk, and citrus juice. Beat on low speed until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick with some small lumps. You will have between 3.5 - 4 cups of batter.
• Divide and pour batter evenly into cake pans. If batter appears to have bubbles, give the pans a light tap on the counter to pop them. Bake cakes for 18-21 minutes or until baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done.
• Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
• In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, and then beat on medium speed until combined and completely smooth (absolutely no lumps), at least 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to smooth out. Switch to a whisk attachment (if you haven't already been using it). Turn the mixer to low speed and with the mixer running, carefully pour in the cream in a slow and steady stream. After all of the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until thick and stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Do not walk away during this time and do not be concerned if your frosting takes longer to whip. You're looking for a thick, airy consistency with stiff peaks. If your frosting appears soupy now or at any point you are working with it, it needs more whipping to introduce more air. If your frosting appears chunky or curdled, it's over-whipped. To fix, stir 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream into the frosting by hand to smooth out again. You will have about 3.5 cups of frosting.
• Spoon 1 cup of frosting (about 240ml) into a separate bowl. Stir in 3 heaping Tablespoons of cooled lemon curd. This will be your filling for the cake. Enjoy remaining lemon curd drizzled on the cake slices or as a topping on other baked goods.
• First, make sure you have enough room for the cake inside your refrigerator because it must chill at the end of this step and briefly in the next step as well. If the cake layers aren't flat on top, carefully and slowly level them off using a large serrated knife. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with 1/2 of the lemon curd frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with remaining lemon curd frosting (if you have extras, just use it on the exterior of the cake). Top with the third cake layer. Spread a very thin layer of regular whipped frosting on top and all around the sides of the cake to create a crumb coat. A bench scraper and small icing spatula are handy for this. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Add remaining frosting on chilled crumb-coated cake using a small icing spatula or a larger flat icing spatula. Use a bench scraper, if desired, to smooth out the sides. Refrigerate the decorated cake uncovered for at least 30 minutes to help set the frosting. After that, if you used a cake turntable, you can carefully transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate using a couple flat spatulas.
• After 30 minutes in the refrigerator, the decorated cake is fine to slice and serve or sit out at room temperature for a few hours. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

DADDY'S BIRTHDAY CAKE (AKA FRANNY'S SUNSHINE CAKE)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. In a standing electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar. When they start to double in size, slowly add in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Whip until you have stiff peaks. Set aside.
• 3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, and the remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Gradually add the orange juice and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
• 4. Combine the two mixtures: Spoon a little whipped egg whites into the yolks and stir. Then fold the rest of the whites into the mixture in two additions.
• 5. Deftly fold in the flour, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
• 6. Pour the batter into an ungreased 9-inch angel food cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• 7. Remove the pan from the oven and place it upside down. Leave it like that until the cake is cool.
• 8. Once it has cooled, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Invert the pan over a serving plate, and let gravity do its thing.
• 9. Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally with a large serrated knife.
• 10. Frost the top of the bottom half with some of the orange filling (see below), and then layer some of the mandarin orange slices and berries on top of the frosting.
• 11. Place the top half over the bottom half, and then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining orange filling. Place the remaining mandarin oranges and berries on top of the cake.
• 12. Sprinkle the topping (see below) over the cake and enjoy.
• To Make the Orange Filling
• 1. Combine the sugar, egg, flour, orange juice, and orange zest in a double boiler and cook over simmering water until thick, about 5 to 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• 2. Whip the cream till almost stiff. Fold in the cooled orange mixture. Whisk until you have stiff peaks.
• To Make the Topping
• 1. Butter a piece of aluminum foil.
• 2. In a heavy skillet over high heat, cook the sugar until it is caramelized (turns a medium brown color). Swirl the pan carefully to get all of the sugar to caramelize evenly.
• 3. Pour the sliced almonds over the caramelized sugar and stir with a wooden spoon to coat the almonds. Spread the almonds out on the piece of buttered foil, and let them cool.
• 4. When they are cool, crush or chop the nuts.

QUICK SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Beat the eggs, and add them to the boxed cake mix. Add the oil and the mandarine oranges to the batter; remember to add the juice as well as the fruit. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Bake the cake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cool on wire rack.
• While cake is baking, prepare the frosting by mixing together the whipped dessert topping, the package of instant pudding, and the crushed pineapple with its juices. Set frosting in refrigerator to set. Frost when cake has thoroughly cooled.

ORANGE SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine cake mix, eggs, 1 package of pudding, vegetable oil, orange extract, and mandarin oranges and beat well for about 3 minutes.
• Bake in 3 - 9 inch greased and floured round cake pans for 20-25 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven.
• To Make Frosting: Fold pudding and pineapple into whipped topping and frost cake. Keep refrigerated.

MEMAW'S LEMON SUNSHINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt®).
• Beat lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, white sugar, eggs, 1 cup peach nectar, and vegetable oil in a bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes before removing cake to finish cooling on rack.
• Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup peach nectar, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a bowl to make a smooth frosting.
• Place cake on a serving platter; poke holes in top of the cake with a fork. Pour frosting slowly over the cake, allowing frosting to soak into the holes and drizzle down the sides of the cake.