Recipe: For BB: Fresh Orange Cake Recipes

Hi BB, Here is the cake from a book by Mary Margaret McBride called the Encyclopedia of Cooking. This book is a series of 12 sections that were sold in supermarkets, one every week in the early 60's. The Cover and bindings were also sold. The finished book is about 8.5 by 11 inches and at least 3 inches thick! The Copyright date is 1959. Guess that explains the old fashioned procedures like quadruple sifting! It is a wonderful book, though, and when people are looking for gelatin salads, and other things like that I can sometimes find them here. The Silver cake is in here also.

The second recipe is just slightly different. You really seem to be into cake recipes, and thought you might enjoy seeing the differences, note the treatment of orange juice and rind. Also one uses baking soda and less baking powder. This recipe is from Farm Journal's Country Fair cookbook copyright 1975. I always think of the Farm Journal books as sort of a forerunner of Taste of Home.

If you make one of these cakes, I would love to know how it turned out. ORANGE CAKE

1/4 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup strained orange juice
2-1/4 cup sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, unbeaten

Steep orange rind in orange juice for 5 minutes and strain. Discard rind.

Sift flour, measure, resift 3 times with baking powder, salt, and sugar, the lat time into bowl.

Add shortening and stir with spoon enough to distribute evenly. Combine orange juice and milk; add 2/3 cup to flour mixture.

Beat 2 minutes in electric mixer at low speeed or by hand. When using electric mixer, scrape bowl frequently and scrape beaters at the end of the 2 minutes.

Add remaining milk and eggs; beat 1 minute.

Pour into 2 ungreased 8-inch layer cake pans lined with thin plain paper on bottoms. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees F) about 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Turn out of pans and cool. Remove paper and spread with 7 minute or creamy vanilla frosting and sprinkle with coconut.FRESH ORANGE LAYER CAKE

2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
Creamy Nut Frosting (recipe follows)

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into bowl.

Add shortening, orange rind, and orange juice; beat with electric mixer at medium speed 2 minutes. Add milk and eggs; beat 2 more minutes. Pour batter into 2 greased 8-inch round cake pans.

Bake in 350 degree F. oven 30 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on racks.

Spread the top of 1 layer with reserved Creamy Nut Frosting. Place 2nd layer on top. Frost sides and top of cake with remaining Creamy Nut Frosting.

CREAMY NUT FROSTING

1/2 cup milk
2-1/2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 cup butter or regular margarine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsly chopped nuts
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar

Gradually blend milk into cake flour in small sauce pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is a thick paste (about 10 minutes). Cool till luke warm. Cream together butter or margarine, sugar, and salt. Add milk mixture; beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and chopped nuts. Reserve 1/3 cup for filling. Add confectioners sugar to remainder, blending until smooth.