Notes: While in Florida at my wife's parents' condo, we hosted several dinners to celebrate Hanukah. On one evening, we needed a cake that would be kid- and adult-friendly. Dr. S' mom had a Fine Cooking cake and pie compilation magazine, and I thought their Vanilla Layer Cake with Whipped Rum-Ganache Icing recipe might work, with some modifications. Firstly, the rum was out because of the kids that would be eating it, and secondly, vanilla was out as Dr. S' mom doesn't like it.
I made the cake layers using orange zest instead of vanilla. We ended up using it the next day, so I tried to keep it moist by brushing the layers with fresh orange juice just before assembly. Making ganache was a snap. When the guests arrived, I melted white chocolate in the microwave and made a parchment piping cone. A few people got to try their hand at making decorations on a baking sheet lined with parchment. I popped it in the freezer to harden the chocolate, and placed them on the iced cake just before serving.
The cake wasn't my best effort, but it was enjoyable, especially with a glass of milk. If not using cake layers right away, you really need to keep them well wrapped, or they'll dry out.
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