My adaptation for a lower carb version of this special cake. The sweetness of the orange infused in the batter, the tartness of plump cranberries scattered throughout, as well as the fragrance of minced rosemary makes this cake extraordinary in taste and appearance.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 buttered or greased 9x9 pans as well as parchment rounds.
In a bowl, combine beaten eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, regular milk, orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract and whisk together.
In another bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and minced rosemary.
Gradually add in flour mixture to egg mixture, and gently beat until smooth.
Transfer batter into greased pans and drop cranberries over the batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes.
Gradually add in confectioners' sugar until it is smooth.
Alternate with the heavy cream by the tablespoon until the frosting is spreadable.
Garnish with sugared cranberries, orange pieces and rosemary sprigs.
FYI. I chose to use less confectioners' sugar, despite not using processed white sugar in my recipe. Instead, I decided to allow my frosting to be on the less thick and fluffy side, by opting to use only half of the 8 cups suggested.
Whenever possible, choose organic ingredients.
UPDATE: Christmas day 2023 update on my cake after my taste test. So, I increased the whole milk from 1-1/2 cups to 1-2/3 for extra moistness. Also, I increased the orange juice from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup to make the taste even more pronounced. Overall, the cake was absolutely delicious and a hit with my family and will be with yours too!