½ teaspoon orange extract or zest from 1 large orange
4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt)
1½ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons frozen concentrated orange juice
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F. Place parchment rounds in the bottom of two 8-inch (2 inches deep) round cake pans and one 6-inch (2 inches deep) round cake pan. Spray parchment and the sides of the pan with a flour/oil baking spray. Or grease and flour pans. (I'd still use the parchment rounds to ensure the cakes release easily.)
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one a time, beating thoroughly after the addition of each egg and scraping the bowl often.
Add vanilla and orange extract (or zest).
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl combine the milk and concentrated orange juice.
Add approximately ⅓ of the flour to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat just until combined. Add ⅓ of the liquids and beat just until combined. Repeat two more times, scraping the bowl often.
Spoon 3 generous cups of batter into each of the large pans. Drop each pan several times on a hard surface to level. Add remaining batter (about 2 cups) into the smaller pan. Drop to level.
Bake 35-40 minutes. Don't open the oven door while the cakes are baking. At 35 minutes carefully check. If a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a cake, they're done. If not, let the cakes bake a little longer.
Move to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning out the cakes. Let the cakes cool completely before icing.
Recipe by The Rowdy Baker at http://www.therowdybaker.com/?p=7032