CAKE
1 c Golden raisins 1 c Sugar
1/2 c Dry sherry 3 Eggs
2 1/2 c Sifted unbleached flour 1 1/2 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 ts Baking soda 1 Orange, finely grated zest
1/2 ts Salt Of
3/4 c Unsalted butter, room temp 1 1/2 c Buttermilk
1/2 c Dark brown sugar 1/2 c Chopped pecans
FROSTING
1/2 c Unsalted butter, room temp 2 tb Finely grated orange zest
1 lb Powdered sugar Orange slices
4 tb UP TO … Pecan halves
5 tb Cointreau
The night before you plan to make the cake, soak the raisins in the
sherry and continue soaking overnight. The following day, preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9″ cake pans. To make the
cake, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugars in a alrge mixer bowl. Add the eggs, one
at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and
grated orange zest. Add the flour alternately with the buttermilk,
beating well after each addition. Stir in the pecans and raisins with
sherry. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake
begins to pull away from the edge of the pan and springs back when
lightly touched in the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 10
minutes. Invert onto wire racks to cool completely. To make the
frosting, cream the butter, sugar and enough of the Cointreau to make
the frosting spreadable but not runny. Beat in the orange zest. Place
1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread evenly with some of the
frosting. Top with the second layer and frost the top and side of
the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with orange slices and pecan
halves. From The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Russo &
Sheila Lukins.
Yields
12 servings