Tag: Orange Cakes

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Lemon Cream Cheese Crescent Ring

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Some sweet ladies came to our house for a brunch a couple of weeks ago. Because I had talked about sausage gravy over biscuits at water aerobic class, a couple of the ladies expressed a desire to have some, as they had never experienced this wonderful southern dish. While others in the class are talking about how this class is helping them feel better and building muscle strength, we are at the other end of the pool planning our sausage gravy biscuit brunch. One of the ladies said that she would bring some watermelon so we would have one healthy food item, while yet another said that she would bring a coffee cake. Well, this is the pastry she brought and everyone had a hissy (I’ve been dying to see that word)fit over it. We had such a grand time that morning. The night before, I got this great idea to type out questions to pass around the table and let everyone pick out one a the bowl was passed around. Here are some of the questions that got us talking and getting to know each other a little better. So before I post the recipe a little further down, why not think about having some ladies over that you would like to get to know and use this idea to start the conversation flowing. IT was a really nice morning and we had some really nice memory sharing among us.
What is one of your favorite summer vacations?
What is your favorite toppings to put on a hot dog?
Tell us about a memorable 4th of July
What color of the American flag best describes your personality?
A favorite summer food/drink
Which do you prefer, the beach or pool and why
Did you have a favorite swimming place to go growing up?
What time/place did you experience watching fireworks that is still a great memory?
Favorite flavor of homemade ice cream
Favorite thing to grill

Now for the great recipe that Patty was so kind to share. Thanks Patty for another reason that my bathing suit is tighter than before our breakfast
Crescent Ring:
3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tables fresh lemon juice
2 teas grated lemon peel
1 can 8 oz Pillsbury refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-3 teas milk

Heat oven to 350. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix cream cheese, granulated sugar, lemon juice and peel with mixer on medium speed until blended.
Unroll dough sheet (if using the rolls, unroll dough and separate into 2 large rectangles) Overlap long sides to form 13×7″ rectangle; firmly press edges and perforations to seal.
Spread cream cheese mixture on rectangle to within 1/2′ of edges.
Starting with 1 long side of rectangle, roll up; pinch edge to seal
With seated knife, cut into 12 slices.
arrange slices on cookie sheet in a circle; over lapping slightly.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm crescent roll.

* (Because I love orange flavor also, I’m going to use orange juice/peel next time I make this)

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Fall Orange Cake

Chocolate Castles4 Comments

If you are wondering how Fall Orange cake is different from Spring Orange cake…it is really very simple, it is made in the Fall instead of the Spring. Why do I get hankerings (where did that word come from, I’ve  never used that before?) for cakes which I have not ever made before or necessarily even wanted to make? I don’t have an answer for that except to say that maybe as we “mature” (don’t like to say, “get older”) our tastes change and our bodies crave different flavors for what we need? I don’t know, maybe if I ever win the lotto, I will use $100 to do a study on that. But in the meantime, I will just keep baking what sounds good at the time. Today, for some reason, orange sounded good. Maybe because I have looked at an orange staring back at me from the fruit basket on the counter since last Saturday. So today, I could not go another minute without making a fresh orange cake. Randy is eating the piece that I cut for his mid morning snack, even though it is past mid morning. But he is always so eager to show his support for me baking and willing to sample whatever. He IS a jewel! Seriously, this cake is so moist and the homemade orange buttercream frosting just took it to a new level.  If you add a little orange food coloring, wouldn’t it be pretty to have on your Thanksgiving dessert table next to the pumpkin pies? Do not pay attention to the blue tray it is sitting on, that is my “go to” tray when I am taking food someplace where I might not get the tray back, so I use it for times like that.

Ingredients

1 box Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix

1 small box of vanilla instant pudding

4 large eggs, room temp

1 cup fresh orange juice (we had the orange juice with heavy pulp)

1/3 cup veggie oil

2 tables orange zest

About 1-2 tables orange juice (to brush over cake layers after they bake)

Frosting

1 stick softened butter (not margarine, yuck)

3 1/2 cups (or a 1 lb box) of powdered sugar

1/2 teas orange extract

1 tables orange zest

Enough fresh orange juice to get it of spreading consistency. (I added about 1/3 cup of orange juice.

Add cake mix, pudding mix, 1 cup orange juice, eggs, oil and zest to mixing bowl. Beat for 2 minutes and well combined. Pour into desired baking pans and bake according to back of cake mix box for whatever size of pans you used. When cake tests done, remove from oven and allow to cool. Using a pastry brush, brush some of the orange juice over the top of the cake layer (s). Allow to cool completely and frost.

Frosting

Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, extract  zest and add enough orange juice to mix until spreading consistency. Frost cakes when completely cooled.

Cakes · Desserts

Happy Fall Ya’ll

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Just can’t wait any longer, I am ready to celebrate temps falling below 100. And with that celebration comes pumpkins of all sizes and shapes. Peter Pumpkin (aka Randy) is just pacing the floor until I give him the go ahead to begin bringing all the boxes from the garage that store the Fall Trees and pumpkins that are just waiting to have a place in the house.

We have invited some friends over tonight to join us in celebrating It’s Almost Fall!  Because I still had some fresh oranges, I decided to make an Orange Cake for dessert after we go to Smash Burger.

Thought I would share how easy it was and how fresh the cake layers taste with substituting orange juice for the water.

One Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix

Mix the cake mix according to directions except substitute half of the water called for with orange juice. I used fresh squeezed, but using orange juice is just fine. I used the zest of one of the oranges and added that to the cake batter. Mix well and pour into 2 (9″) round cake pans. Bake about 24-25 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool and frost with Orange Butter Cream Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting (the CC Frosting was posted yesterday with the Key Lime Cake recipe)

Buttercream Frosting

1 stick of softened unsalted butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup of Crisco Shortening

5 cups of powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla

zest of an orange

Enough orange juice to make frosting to spreading consistency.

Whip up the butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest and the orange juice, (about 1 tables at a time).

Frost the bottom layer that you have put on a serving platter, then place the 2nd layer on top. Frost the sides and then the top with the buttercream.2015-08-28 11.07.21

Maybe the cake will get Peter in a festive enough mood to start bringing in the boxes!