All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [25]
serves:
12 to 16
prep:
35 minutes
bake:
20 to 24 minutes
cool:
20 minutes
For the cake
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans
Flour, for dusting the pans
2 medium-size oranges
About 1 cup buttermilk
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
Half of a 3.4 ounce package of vanilla instant pudding mix (4 tablespoons)
½ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins, chopped
How to Make Candied Lemon or Orange Zest
Candied citrus zest is easy to make, and is a pretty way to dress up any holiday cake. If you can find organic fruit, all the better. In any case, look for unwaxed oranges and lemons. Organic or not, rinse the fruit well and dry it with paper towels, says my friend Lucille Osborn, who shared this recipe. Cut the zest (the colored part of the peel) into long strands using a zester or run a sharp vegetable peeler around an orange or lemon and then slice the zest into ¼ inch–wide strands. Two medium-size oranges or four lemons will make about 1 cup of strands.
Place 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1¼ cups of water in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a simmer. Drop the citric zest into the pan and stir until the strands are covered in syrup. Let the mixture barely simmer until the zest is translucent, 1 to ½ hours. The less you let the zest simmer, the softer in texture it will be, and the longer it simmers the crunchier it will be. Using metal tongs, remove the zest from the syrup and arrange it in a single layer on a metal rack (discard the syrup). Let the zest dry from several hours to overnight; it will be pliable. Twist the candied zest into the shape you desire and coat it with granulated sugar or white sanding (decorating) sugar. Keep the zest in a plastic container for up to one month.
When Less (Pudding) Is More
My favorite reason to add instant pudding to a cake mix is for suspension, believe it or not. I know pudding is said to make cake moist, but so do sour cream, oil, buttermilk, mashed banana, and many other add-ins. For some reason pudding mix helps chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, and the like not sink to the bottom of the pan. That’s why I’ve used it in many cakes in this chapter.
A downside to adding instant pudding is that it can cause the layers to shrink back from the side of the pan and decrease in volume as they cool. Martha Bowden, who has tested many recipes for me over the years, came up with the clever trick of using half a package of pudding when the recipe called for an entire package. She seals the remaining half in a plastic bag and places it in her pantry to use in a future cake. The half package of pudding still helps suspend ingredients and the cake bakes up pretty and doesn’t shrink as it cools.
For the garnish and orange buttercream frosting
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans, or 4 or 5 thin strips of orange zest
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
4½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup orange juice (see Step 2)
1 tablespoon orange zest (see Step 2)
1. Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly mist three 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.
Recipe Reminders
MADE FOR
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PREP NOTES
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DON’T FORGET
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SPECIAL TOUCHES
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