Perfect!

Remember that cake pan I bought a couple of weeks ago at The Cottage Thrift Shop?

I was thinking it would make the perfect Easter dessert since the outer edges resemble a woven basket, and the middle was indented just enough to allow a cake to be topped with loads of fruit without it falling off the sides.  Actually, the pan design is so cute it actually doesn’t need much embellishment.

Well, it worked great, and the finished product looked and tasted scrumptious!  That’s saying something since I am not much of a cake maker.

The cake tasted as good as it looked, so I am going to share the recipe which is pretty easy.  It’s kind of a cross between a shortcake and a pound cake.

Fresh Orange Cake

1 1/4 c. butter, softened

2 c. sugar

5 eggs

3 3/4 c. flour

2 1/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

grated zest of 2 oranges

Glaze

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. butter

3 T. orange juice

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour pan.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add alternately with 3/4 c. milk to butter/sugar mixture. Stir in orange zest and pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes.  Cool in pan 15 minutes.  While the cake is cooling, heat sugar, butter and orange juice over medium heat, stirring often for 2 minutes.  Invert cake onto serving dish and glaze.  Serve with fruit and whipping cream.  YUM!

By the way, don’t you love the table runner?  My daughter got it at Pier 1, and I went directly there to get one.  To its credit, the store was closed to allow employees to enjoy Easter with their families.  Obviously, all the other stores didn’t think that was important.