Golden Cake

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup Unsalted butter, softened (113g)
• 1 cup Granulated sugar (200g)
• 2 teaspoons Orange extract
• 10 Large egg yolks (From approximately 10 large eggs)
• 0.5 cup Whole milk (120ml)
• 1.75 cups All-purpose flour (210g)
• 3 teaspoons Baking powder
• 1 cup Chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans) (120g, optional, for variation)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease and flour individual cake tins (or an 8-inch round cake pan).
2. 2In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
3. 3In a separate medium bowl, beat the 10 large egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed until they are thick, pale lemon-colored, and have increased significantly in volume. This typically takes 4-5 minutes. Stir in the orange extract.
4. 4Gradually add the beaten egg yolk mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. 5In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Sift this mixture to ensure there are no lumps.
6. 6Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture alternately with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined after each addition, being careful not to overmix. Start with about one-third of the flour mixture, then half the milk, then another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and finally the last third of the flour.
7. 7If making the nut variation, gently fold in the 1 cup of chopped nuts into the batter using a spatula. This replaces the orange extract from the original recipe's variation note, but for this modernized recipe, we're keeping the orange extract and adding nuts as an option.
8. 8Divide the batter evenly among the prepared individual tins or cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
9. 9Bake for 20-25 minutes for cupcakes or individual tins, or 30-35 minutes for an 8-inch round cake, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The cakes should be golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
10. 10Let the cakes cool in their tins for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve plain or with a light dusting of powdered sugar.