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FRESH ORANGE CAKE -- (Serves 16)

You don't need fancy ingredients in this simple recipe.  Ever so moist, this cake improves as it rests on the counter - that is if it lasts that long!  For a variation, bake the cake in two 9" layers and frost with orange cream cheese frosting (other side of page).

 

Cake:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan and flour for dusting it
1 package (18.5 ounces) yellow cake mix with pudding (make sure it includes pudding)

1 cup fresh orange juice (either from about 5 medium oranges or from a carton)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

 

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest (from the orange you used above!)

 

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.  Set pan aside.

  2. Place the cake mix, orange juice, oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for about 1 minute.  Stop the machine; scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.  The batter should look thick and well-blended.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven.

  3. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and just starts to pull away from the side of the pan - about 45-47 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool about 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool complete - at least 30 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze.  Combine the confectioners' sugar, fresh orange juice, and orange zest in a small bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

  5. Place the cake on a serving platter and pour the glaze over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides and into the center.  Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing.


 

Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

(makes enough to frost a bundt cake or 2/3-layer cake)

 

 

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from the orange you used above)

 

  1. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Stop the machine.  Add the confectioners' sugar, a little bit at a time, blending with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is well-combined - about 1 minute.  Then add the orange juice and zest to the mixture.  Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy - about 1 minute more.

Use at once to frost the top and sides of the cooled cake.