Orange Slice Cake – A Sinkology Holiday Recipe
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
Holidays and traditions are just part of what makes this time of year my most favorite season. The traditions that flash me right back to holiday’s pasts seem to always involve food (not a big surprise coming from a food blogger, huh?!)
This orange slice cake ranks at the top of my food memories list, probably because it’s a cake with candy in it and cake + candy makes a big impression on a little kid. Mom made it almost every year in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Somehow, I could convince mom we should eat this cake for both dessert AND breakfast. As a kid, it was this orange candy cake’s flavor that kept me coming back for more, but now as an adult, it’s not only addictively delicious citrus orange flavor and the moist, dense, sticky texture — it’s the places that my mind takes me with the first smells of sweet orange mixed with dates, coconut and warm buttery baking cake. I flash right back to my 10 year old self, standing in the kitchen with my mom waiting for her to serve me an extra thick slice of Orange Slice Cake.
I have never actually made this recipe by myself before and all of my orange cake memories only involve eating — not making. Thankfully, mom still had the original recipe – handwritten on the 1970’s green and yellow shopping list. She texted me a photo of the recipe and as I read through it – I immediately knew one ingredient needed to change — margarine. Does anyone even bake with margarine anymore? I am a butter girl all the way!
Something special happened as I worked through the steps of the recipe, chopping, mixing and stirring away. The combined aroma of the ingredients flashed my mind right back to my childhood. I think the mark of a really really good recipe is when something about it takes you back to a favorite time in your life.
Once the chopped add-ins are combined with flour, it’s time to move onto the cake. Simply combine sugar, buttermilk & eggs in the mixer.
And then work in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda & kosher salt.
Once the cake batter is combined, incorporate the chopped nuts, dates, orange candies and coconut.
Pour the batter into a well prepared (buttered & floured) bundt pan.
Bake the cake at 300° for 1 hour & 45 minutes. While the cake is baking, combine one cup of orange juice with 2 cups of confectioners sugar.
As soon as the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven & use a chopstick to poke holes throughout the cake. Set the cake on a baking sheet and pour the orange juice syrup over the cake. (By setting the cake on a baking sheet, you will catch any of the spills and prevent a big kitchen mess.)
Once the cake has been saturated with the liquid, cover it with foil (while still in the pan) and refrigerate the cake overnight.
To serve the cake, set the pan in a hot water bath for about 10 minutes. Invert the cake on a baking rack and tap to release the cake.
Slice and serve cold (because that’s the way momma served it!) Oh and the butter — it made the cake dense, moist and extra fabulous! I don’t another bite of food that could say “Merry Christmas!!” better than a slice of this Orange Slice Cake!
- 1 pound orange slice candy, chopped
- 8 oz chopped dates
- 1 c shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 c chopped pecans
- 1 c chopped walnuts
- ½ c flour
- 2 c sugar
- 2 sticks salted butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 3½ c flour
- ½ t salt
- 1 t baking soda
- 1 c orange juice
- 2 c confectioners sugar
- *Please note, this recipe calls for the baked cake to rest in the fridge overnight, so plan your time accordingly*
- Preheat oven to 300°. Prepare a bundt pan by spraying with non-stick spray (or greasing with butter) and then dusting with flour. In a medium mixing bowl combine first 6 ingredients. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of your mixer, combine sugar, butter and eggs. Mix on medium speed until combined. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to the mixer in thirds, mixing thoroughly between additions. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, add the chopped nuts, candy and coconut. Mix to incorporate.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- While cake is baking, combine orange juice & confectioners sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once baking is complete, use a chopstick or small dowel to poke holes in the cake. Set the cake on a baking sheet and pour orange juice syrup over the cake. Cover the cake with foil and place in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to serve the cake, place the cake in a hot water bath for 10 minutes then invert the cake on a baking rack. You may need to work a knife around the edges of the cake and tap the pan to help release it.
- Serve cold. Serves 16.
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