This glimmering Two-Tier Orange-Ginger Pound Cake takes tiered cakes to a whole new level. We stacked up two of Nordic Ware’s classic Heritage Bundt Pans, a 10-cup and a 6-cup, and added a sparkling star cookie topper to create this holiday tree-shaped look. But trust us, this Two-Tier Orange Ginger Pound Cake is just as delicious as it is showstopping. The real key to this recipe’s success is Heilala Vanilla. Heilala’s pure vanilla extract adds a whole new level of complexity to the cake, harmonizing with orange zest and ginger for a balanced sweet and spicy flavor. The extract works double time in our Vanilla Glaze, rounding out this Two-Tier Orange Ginger Pound Cake with rich, mellow notes. Finished off with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and metallic sprinkles, this is the most glamorous holiday dessert of them all.
Two-Tier Orange Ginger Pound Cake
Makes 1 (10-cup) and 1 (6-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) packed orange zest
- 4 large eggs (200 grams), room temperature
- 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1¾ teaspoons (5.25 grams) kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
- 1 cup (240 grams) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract*
- Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows)
- Assorted gold sprinkles (optional)
- Star-shaped sugar cookie**
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and orange zest at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined after each addition; scrape sides of bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, ground ginger, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, grated ginger, and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition.
- Spray a 10-cup and a 6-cup Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan with baking spray with flour. Spoon 5¼ cups (about 1,236 grams) batter into prepared 10-cup pan; spoon remaining batter (about 788 grams) into prepared 6-cup pan. Tap pans on counter several times to spread batter into grooves and release any air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes for the 6-cup pan and 55 minutes to 1 hour for the 10-cup pan. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Gently loosen center and edges from pans using a small offset spatula. Invert cakes onto wire racks; let cool completely.
- Transfer 10-cup Bundt cake to desired serving plate. Place Vanilla Glaze in a large piping bag fitted with a ¼-inch round piping tip (Wilton No. 12). Carefully pipe glaze into and over grooves of cake. Once glaze stops dripping, decorate with sprinkles (if using). On a separate plate or cake board, repeat glazing process with 6-cup Bundt cake, and decorate with sprinkles (if using); stack on top of 10-cup Bundt cake. Trace over ridges of cakes with glaze, pausing briefly at various points to create a drip effect. Top 6-cup cake with a 3- to 3½-inch star-shaped cookie (see PRO TIP), and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Notes
*We used Heilala Pure Vanilla Extract
** We used our Iced Eggnog Shortbread Cookies from our November/December 2019 issue, but you can use store-bought dough and use a cutter to get 3- to 3½-inch stars. Make sure to cut them to this size so they fit on top of the 6-cup Bundt cake.
PRO TIP
To help keep the star cookie upright, stick a wooden skewer through the cake and lean the cookie against the skewer. Remove before serving.
** We used our Iced Eggnog Shortbread Cookies from our November/December 2019 issue, but you can use store-bought dough and use a cutter to get 3- to 3½-inch stars. Make sure to cut them to this size so they fit on top of the 6-cup Bundt cake.
PRO TIP
To help keep the star cookie upright, stick a wooden skewer through the cake and lean the cookie against the skewer. Remove before serving.
Vanilla Glaze
Makes 1¾ cups
Ingredients
- 5 cups (600 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 grams) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract*
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.
Notes
*We used Heilala Pure Vanilla Extract
