Prickly Pear Tequila Sunrise Cake

When we visited Saguaro National Park, we walked away with quite the abundance of prickly pear products: tea, syrup and a tequila sunrise jam made with prickly pear. However, as is often the case, the products sat in our cupboard waiting for the right time to try them. I decided to combine a few of them into a birthday cake for me/my dad. Inspired by the jam, I decided to make a prickly pear tequila sunrise cake.

Now, I've made tequila sunrise cupcakes before, and I feel like this version takes the cake. I modified an orange cake from Goodie Godmother. Both layers of this cake have wonderful texture, and the orange frosting reminds me of creamsicles. I didn't quite attain the swoopy frosting I was hoping for, so instead I blended the two frostings into each other.

End result: pretty and delicious cake.

Prickly Pear Tequila Sunrise Cake
Orange Cake
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
5-10 drops orange essential oil
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
11/2 cups flour
11/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Prickly Pear Cake
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
11/2 cups flour
11/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup prickly pear syrup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Orange Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
5-10 drops orange essential oil
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
2-4 Tbsp. milk or heavy cream
Prickly Pear Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 cup prickly pear syrup
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Filling
Prickly Pear Tequila Sunrise Jam

To bake the orange cake, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease, butter and flour a 9-inch round pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat the butter, sugar and orange oil together in a mixing bowl or with a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well, and scraping the bowl after each addition.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the orange juice, tequila and vanilla. Add half the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, stir to incorporate, and then add half the liquid mixture. Scrape the bowl, add the other half of the flour, stir, scrape, and add the remaining liquid. Stir just until combined. Pour into cake bowl, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, and remove from pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To bake the prickly pear cake, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Grease, butter and flour a 9-inch round pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl or with a stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well, and scraping the bowl after each addition.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the prickly pear syrup, milk and vanilla. Add half the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, stir to incorporate, and then add half the liquid mixture. Scrape the bowl, add the other half of the flour, stir, scrape, and add the remaining liquid. Stir just until combined. Pour into cake bowl, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, and remove from pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the orange frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy, almost white in color. Slowly beat in powdered sugar. Add the orange oil and vanilla, and then add milk until desired consistency is reached.

To make the prickly pear frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy, almost white in color. Slowly beat in powdered sugar. Add the prickly pear syrup, and beat until smooth and fluffy.

(If you want to cheat, you can start both frostings together, and simply divide them before adding the unique ingredients. You'll end up with extra frosting, which is a great excuse to make tequila sunrise cupcakes. Or am I the only person who bakes a batch of orange tequila cupcakes to use up extra frosting?)

To assemble the cake, place the prickly pear layer down first. Cover with a layer of prickly pear tequila sunrise jam (or orange curd would be an excellent substitution). Top with orange cake layer. Frost the bottom portion of the cake with the prickly pear frosting, and the top portion of the cake with orange frosting. Swirl or combine as desired. (I used some prickly pear on the top and did the sunset effect there as well.)