Orange Cake

Adrian had a craving for cake yesterday, and despite his plea that I make yet another red velvet cake (his new favorite since he tried it for the first time last summer), I convinced him to let me try something new. My choice: "Aunt Verna's Orange Cake." I found this recipe online and thought it sounded so delicious and summery. Also, I have never heard of/used orange blossom honey, so I thought that might be a nice thing to try.

The recipe didn't call for a frosting, but Adrian would never eat a cake without frosting, so I did a little Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade action and made one to suit this cake. Making the frosting was also a great use of the orange that I had left over after zesting it for the cake. If you don't particularly like thick frosting, I think a drizzled powdered-sugar icing infused with a little juice from the orange would be really great on top too.

The verdict: the taste was delicious. I think I may have overcooked it just a little (I cooked it for 40 minutes rather than 30) because the edges were kind of tough when I cut into it, but the cake itself was really tasty. So, my advice would be, even if the knife/wooden skewer doesn't come out completely clean when you test the cake for doneness, go ahead and take it out of the oven and let it sit on the cooling rack. It should finish cooking from its own heat.



Aunt Verna's Orange Cake (and my semi-homemade frosting) :)
Cake Recipe Courtesy Alton Brown, The Food Network

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE
1 cup Orange Blossom Honey
4 large eggs
1 tbsp orange zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch baking soda
Butter, for greasing

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING
1/2 can vanilla frosting
2 tbsp fresh orange juice


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together honey and eggs until thoroughly integrated. Stir in orange zest. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add slowly to egg mixture. Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter. Add the mixture to the pan and bake. After 30 minutes check for doneness with a wooden skewer. (If it comes out clean, you are done. If not, give it another 5 minutes and check it again).

While the cake is baking, place the frosting in a bowl and squeeze the orange juice on top. Use a spatula to gently mix the juice in with the frosting. It will come out a little thinner than it is in the container, but if you let it sit while the cake is baking, it will thicken up nicely.

When the cake has cooled completely, spread the icing on top and serve!