Step 1

Make quick orange-infused olive oil: Cut the peel from 2 oranges and place them in the bowl of a food processor or a high-powered blender. (Try to leave most of the white part, the pith, behind and use only the orange peel.) Add 1 cup extra virgin olive oil and blend/ process until smooth. Set aside. (This can be done up to 48 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

Step 2

Prepare 2 or 3 round cake pans as follows: Coat the inside of the pans with a thin layer of vegetable shortening or butter. Cut a piece of parchment to fit inside the pan, covering the bottom. Coat the parchment with vegetable shortening or butter. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of flour inside the pan and shake it around to coat. Shake out the excess flour. (More information about how to prepare cake pans for baking.) *See note below about whether to use 2 or 3 cake pans.

Step 3

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

Step 4

Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt to a medium size bow and stir with a wire whisk to combine.

Step 5

Add the orange-infused olive oil, eggs, buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes to emulsify the ingredients.

Step 6

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and with the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients. Beat just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to stir the batter a few times, scraping around the bottom and sides of the bowl, to make sure everything is well blended.

Step 7

Distribute the batter between the cake pans. This recipe makes 1500 grams of batter, so if you want to be precise, measure 500 grams of batter into each of 3 cake pans. (See note below about using only 2 cake pans.)

Step 8

Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for about 28 - 33 minutes. (If using only two cake pans, the thicker cake will take up to 60 minutes to bake.) To test that the cakes are done, insert a toothpick in the center of the layers and remove it. If you see raw batter on the toothpick, bake for a bit longer.

Step 9

Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 5 minutes. Carefully turn the cakes out onto wire racks and allow them to cool completely before assembling and frosting.

Step 10

If you've baked the cakes in two cake pans, use a serrated knife to cut the thick cake layer in half horizontally. Brush the top of each of the three layers with orange liquor (optional).

Step 11

Place one of the cake layers in the center of a cake board or serving platter. Spread about 1/2 cup of orange marmalade over the cake leaving at least an inch of space around the edge of the cake.

Step 12

Scoop some of the mascarpone frosting into a decorator/ pastry bag or a large zip-top bag. Clip about an inch from the tip of the bag or from the corner of the zip-top bag. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake then pipe some frosting over the marmalade. Use a knife or a flat, offset icing spatula to spread the frosting over the marmalade.

Step 13

Top the first layer of cake with a second layer and repeat the process: spread with marmalade then cover the marmalade with frosting.

Step 14

Top the second layer with the third layer of cake. Scoop a large amount of frosting onto the top of the cake. Using an offset icing spatula, spread the frosting across the top of the cake and over the sides, smoothing it over the sides of the cake as you do to cover the cake completely.

Step 15

Decorate the top of the cake with candied orange slices. Serve immediately or cover loosely with plastic wrap or the domed top of a cake stand and refrigerate until ready to serve. This cake will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.