Orange Cake - A Family Tradition at Christmas

Sunday - December 12, 2010

Many of us have special baking traditions for the holidays. The recipe I am about to share is one that I can remember Mom making every year at Christmas. I always wondered why she only baked this cake during the Christmas season, but as I got older I realized it was because of the availability of fresh juicy oranges. Mom would always make several of these cakes for special people in our family's life, and one for us to eat as well. When I was old enough, I got to help Mom prepare the cake! Now I make it on my own! :)

I asked Mom where she got the recipe. She said a very good friend of the Layne family gave her the recipe. However, Mom didn't like the results of the first cake she made, thus she changed things around a bit. The following recipe is what we have been baking in the Layne family for well over fifty years!!! Hope you enjoy!

Orange Cake

1 stick of butter

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp soda

1 cup raisins

2 eggs (separated)

1 tsp vanilla

1 orange peel

• Juice the orange and set aside
• Clean pulp from orange rind; Grind the rind and raisins together
• Combine sugar and butter; Add 2 egg yolks & beat until fluffy
• Add soda to buttermilk ( it will fizz . . . so watch out! :))
• Alternating buttermilk/soda and flour - add to sugar/butter/yolk mixture
• After grinding raisins and orange rind, add to the mixture
• Last add the vanilla and 2 egg whites to the mixture
• Beat for two minutes
• Bake in a tube pan at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes (I also bake in mini loaf pans)
• About 10 minutes before the cake is done - boil juice from orange and 1/2 cup of sugar into a syrup ( I usually add more juice and sugar so I can have enough syrup to use
• Once the cake is out of the oven . . . .pour the juice over the cake while still hot
• I usually use a fork to "poke" holes in the cake so it will soak up the juice

Using the small loaf pans . . . batter is in each, ready to bake . . .

. . . after baking about 33 minutes . . . straight from the oven . . .
. . . the juice from the orange, plus some extra juice and sugar cooking to make the syrup to pour over the hot cakes . . .

. . . the end results soaking up the orange syrup!

Many families try to keep certain recipes a secret! Why? I'm not sure, but the "Laynes" hope you enjoy Mom's version and special recipe for "Orange Cake!"

Merry Christmas to all!!!!