ESTHER'S ORANGE MARMALADE LAYER CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
FOR THE ORANGE SYRUP:
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
for the Filling:
1 cup orange marmalade
FOR THE FROSTING:
3/4 cup well-chilled heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup well-chilled sour cream

TO PREPARE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two (9-inch) round cake pans. Line each pan with parchment or waxed paper, then butter and flour the paper.

Place flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl; stir to blend, then set aside.

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until butter is light. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat well. Add the eggs, orange zest and vanilla. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, alternately with 1/2 the buttermilk. Add 1/2 the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining buttermilk and beat until combined. Finally, beat in the remaining dry ingredients until mixture is smooth.

Evenly divide the batter between the pans and smooth the surface. Rap pans on the counter to remove any air pockets or bubbles.

Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pans 20 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE ORANGE SYRUP:
In a bowl, blend orange juice and sugar; continue stirring until sugar is dissolved.

While cake is still warm, make holes with a toothpick at 1/2-inch intervals in the cake layers. Spoon the syrup over each layer, allowing the syrup to be completely absorbed before adding remaining syrup. Let layers cool completely.

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
Place marmalade in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

To prepare frosting: In a bowl, beat the heavy cream with the sugar until it forms firm peaks. Add the sour cream, a little at a time, and whisk until frosting is of spreading consistency.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Invert one layer on a cake plate and carefully peel off the waxed paper. Spread 2/3 of the marmalade over the top, smoothing it into an even layer. Invert the remaining layer onto the first, peel off the waxed paper and spoon the remaining marmalade onto the center of it, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge. Frost the sides and top border of the cake with frosting, leaving the marmalade on top of the cake exposed.

Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 1 (9-inch) 2-layer cake, or 12 servings
Source: Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader: Recipes from Mitford Cooks, Favorite Tales from Mitford Books by Jan Karon, Martha McIntosh