Dried Orange Spice Cake with Sour Cream Frosting

If any cake is perfect for Christmas, it's this one right here. Oranges can add a beautiful pop of color to your holiday arrangements, as I mentioned in this post.

I've made it my goal this year to really bring color to the table so this cake has quickly become one of my favorites.

The dried oranges are beautiful and easy to make. They can be used for anything from dessert decorating to adding to wreaths and table arrangements.

I lightly sprinkled powdered sugar on top to create a frosty look (not really apparent in these photographs, but you can see one from my Instagram feed here), I thought it really suited the season.

Spice Cake Recipe-

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 a teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice 

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup milk

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1 cups dark brown sugar

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350º

• Grease 1 round cake pan (if you want it to be a two tiered cake grease two pans, and divide the batter evenly).

• Whisk dry ingredients and spices into the bowl of your mixer.

• In a 2-cup measuring cup mix the milk, eggs and vanilla.

• Beat the softened butter into the dry ingredients, until crumbly.

• Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture to the crumbled mixture. Once it becomes creamy add the remaining milk and beat until smooth. 

• Add the sugar and beat until just incorporated.

• Pour the batter into your cake pan (or pans).

• Bake for about 40 minutes (check it frequently, becomes this time depends on your oven).

• Cool the cake on a wire rack for about 5 minutes and then run a knife through the edges. Let cool for an extended period of time. If you try to pop the cake out of it's pan while it's hot you risk it falling apart, trust me I've learned this from experience.

Sour Cream Orange Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

Directions:

• Sift confectioner's sugar into the sour cream. Blend. Add the extract and blend well.