Orange Cake

It has been raining for the last week and yesterday was the first day of sunshine. It is due to rain any minute again. You won't hear me complain because I want our lakes to fill up so we can play all summer long. We live ten minutes away from the beach and somehow I ended up being a lake person. It may have something to do with our beaches being so dang cold. And I am not exaggerating when I say cold. 60 degrees in the summer is just a tad cold when the air is maybe in the 80's. So for me, the beach may be pretty to look at but I prefer the lake.



But today's obsession is Oranges. The Orange trees in our back yard is bursting with some sort of Orange. They are about the same size as the Clementines that I just bought at the store. But they are so juicy that you must and I mean, I require you to eat them over the sink. For you will have them dripping all over the place. They also have so much more flavor than the store variety.



I was giddy while filling the largest kitchen bowl I had. I even scrubbed them with the intent on zesting what didn't get stuffed into my face. In fact, I am not sure how the store bought variety has them so polished. We just had seven days of rain and you would have thought it rained mud on my Orange tree. And how does Florida grow their Oranges the exact same size? Mine are from the size of a lime (but still yummy) to the size of a grapefruit.

We also have a lemon tree but I was only able to maybe get ten lemons off it. I am already planning what to do with those. Lemons are easier for me to decide what to do with. Oranges on the other hand, I draw a blank with. Other than a cake, fresh squeezed Orange Juice or maybe some Orange Custard, I draw a loss.



I like to make cakes but to be quite honest I think there are two type of cooks; bakers or cooks. I like bake but I prefer to cook. I am such a controlled person that cooking is the one place that I let it loose. Baking is just too rigid. It is a science. You can't really eye ball baking. So I cheat at baking a lot. I buy cake mixes. Betty Crocker has it down so why screw up a good thing? Don't get me wrong, I still mess around with the recipe and make it mine as with the recipe below but I start with the good ole standby. And I am not the fussy baker. I throw all the ingredients into mixing bowl and put the mixer on. I am sure my Grandmother is shaking her head up in heaven but I haven't the time to add one egg at a time. I think a man came up with that nonsense at any rate to keep the house wife busy. I'm just saying!




Orange Cake
1 yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup fresh squeezed Orange juice (or the store variety will work)
1 vanilla instant pudding mix (small size)
1/2 cup oil
zest of two oranges

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour evenly into the pan and bake for 60 minutes. Let cool completely before you tap onto serving plate. Top with Orange Rum Glaze.

Orange Rum Glaze
Heat over medium heat
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup fresh squeezed Orange juice (again the store variety will work)
1/2 cup sugar
zest of one Orange
Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes. Carefully pour 1 TB Orange Liquor or Orange Rum into Sugar mixture. Let cool for a couple of minutes before you spoon over cake (I like to let it cool to almost thickened to the point of needing to be reheated. And I have had to reheat due to letting it cool too long so don't freak out.)

Enjoy!