Ojai Orange Cake

I wanted something different than the traditional Graham family potato cake (see next Monday’s post) on my birthday so I searched my folder of dessert recipes and found an orange cake recipe that I haven’t made for many moons. It is similar to a traditional pound cake and holds up well even after 20 years. The only change I made is the substitution of healthier coconut sugar for the traditional refined sugar.

I call my new recipe “Ojai Orange Cake” and will enjoy eating it for my birthday after dinner tonight. I might even add a little Grand Marnier to the glaze!

Ingredients: 

Cake: 

3 cups cake flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

Pinch of salt 

1 cup butter (room temp) 

2 cups coconut sugar 

½ teaspoon vanilla 

2 tablespoons fresh orange zest (from Ojai oranges) 

5 eggs 

¾ cup milk 

Glaze: 

¼ cup butter 

2/3 cup coconut sugar 

½ cup fresh orange juice (from Ojai oranges) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

Whip butter with sugar, vanilla and orange zest until mixture is soft. Add eggs one-by-one, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternating with milk (start and end with the flour). Transfer mixture to a greased Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Check to see if done. If not yet done in the middle, bake for another 10 - 15 minutes. 

While cake is baking, place butter, sugar and orange juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Once cake is done, remove it from the oven and pour glaze over cake. Separate sides of cake from pan so the syrup gets in. Cool completely and invert onto dish for serving.