It’s hard to imagine that something called “curd” can be a tasty treat. The name is terrible but this Cara Cara Orange Curd recipe is quite amazing! The result is a lush custardy treat with a taste that’s suggestive of an orange creamsicle.
Cara Cara Orange Curd can be used for fillings in doughnuts or other pastries, spread on toast, or used as a topping for a Pavlova. I just happen to be using this curd to top a Pavlova. I’ll be posting the recipe for that later this week, so stay tuned.
I haven’t made curd in a long time, so I was a little nervous how it would turn out. But, it really only took about 20 minutes, once I got the ingredients assembled. Speaking of ingredients, they are simple and few: butter, eggs, sugar, oranges, vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt.
I used Cara Cara Oranges because I have been obsessed with them lately. I recently made a salad with these beauties and it was pretty amazing! They are slightly pink inside and their flavor is so refreshing. Cara Cara’s (also know as Red Navel Oranges) are lower in acid and SO juicy. I thought they would be perfect for flavoring this curd. If you can’t find this variety of orange, you can substitute regular Navel Oranges.
You can make curd with all kinds of citrus fruit. I think lemon curd is the most common kind of curd, but after tasting this Cara Cara Orange Curd recipe, you might never go back to lemon. Next time, I am going to try making Ruby Red Grapefruit Curd. Have you ever tried making homemade curd? If not, try this recipe and tell me about it in the comments!
Cara Cara Orange Curd
Ingredients
- Zest of two Cara Cara oranges
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice about 3 Cara Cara Oranges
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Have all ingredients at room temperature.
- Cream the butter, sugar and orange zest with a mixer. Beat until fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time.
- Add juice, vanilla and salt.
- Pour the mixture into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and heat over low heat
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 10-12 minutes until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. I use an instant read thermometer and cook it until it reaches 175 degrees.
- Be careful not to over cook.
- Let curd cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks.
