How exciting! This is my first post in my Cake Challenge that I have made for myself 
I am very thankful that the book had a simple cake for the first one since my goat kidded monday night and that has been taking up a lot of my time.
So I whipped up this tasty little treat last night between taking care of baby goats, my own baby and making dinner for the fam. Which I cheated on a little bit, I made a bunch of freezer meals a few weeks ago (which I will post about when I can catch my breath – all healthy, made completely from scratch freezer meals!). I am quite famous for making a scrumptious dessert and completely forgetting to make dinner.
Priorities, you know?
Obviously dessert is of utmost importance.
At all times.
Especially when trying to loose weight.
Not.
This cake has a couple different variations listed which I don’t think I will make because in the style of Anne Shirley, I can imagine them. Not only was this a relatively easy cake but it tasted amazing. I was much lighter than I expected and quite moist.
So you can do a Lemon Crunch Cake, simply substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel for the orange peel, and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water for the orange juice.
Or you could choose to do Pineapple Crunch Cake by substituting 1/2 teaspoon pineapple extract for the orange peel, fold in 1/3 cup well-drained crushed pineapple and substitute the syrup from the canned pineapple for the orange juice.
Ok so the actual recipe.
Oh, one quick note:
Because I am at high altitude and cakes tend to rise to quickly and then sink in the middle, I used the whole 5oz can of evaporated milk and adjusted the oven temperature to 350˚ and it turned out perfectly. I recommend topping with whipped cream or you could make an orange sauce, I think the one I use on my Frozen Lemon Mousse would work perfectly, although it is a bit of work, just make candied orange rind instead of the lemon and make an orange curd – or just top this with orange curd and whipped cream, mmmm.
FOR THE CRUNCH TOPPING- 1½ cups very finely chopped nuts, can be almonds, walnuts or filberts
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup fine, dry bread crumbs
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
FOR THE CAKE - 2¾ cups sifted cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ and grease either bundt pan or a tube pan with some butter and set aside, then make the topping.
TO MAKE THE TOPPING - Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until completely combined. Then press the mixture into your prepared pan and set aside.
TO MAKE THE CAKE - Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, orange peel and vanilla extract. Gradually add the sugar, creaming until fluffy after each addition.
- Next, in thirds add the eggs, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Combine the evaporated milk and the orange juice in a small bowl (I just used my one cup pyrex measuring cup).
- Next, starting with the flour mixture and alternating with the juice mixture, add the dry ingredients in four additions and the wet in three. Beat only until smooth.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about an hour.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then place a plate over the top and flip it so the cake comes out on the plate.
- Cool completely before serving.
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
