Orange Spice Cake

I would like to dedicate this recipe to my blogging friend, Maureen, whose grand daughter just passed away. Sometimes we get sad news from friends or family and blogging about another recipe at this time just doesn’t seem right. However, dedicating this recipe to her might just help her to ease her sadness, as well as mine.

I recently saw this recipe for Orange Spice Cakes in Better Homes and Garden magazine. These spice cakes are small and compact, but full of flavor as the candied tangerines, figs and orange syrup yield lip-smacking goodness. If you’re looking for a cake recipe that tastes good but doesn’t require oodles of layers and gallons of icing, then this may be for you!

For this recipe, you can use either fresh figs or dried figs that have been re-hydrated. I found that thinly sliced tangerines work best for the ‘oranges’ because they are small and sweet, although you could also use clementines.

So here’s to you, Maureen- your tears will be slow to dry but in some small way, may this help to soothe you.

Orange Spice Cake

2016-02-18 10:42:05

Small and compact orange spice cakes, served with warm syrup

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For the candied oranges

1. 3-4 tangerine oranges
2. 1 ½ cups sugar
3. ½ cup water

For the cake batter

1. 1 cup dried figs, stemmed and finely chopped
2. ½ cup water
3. 2 cups all-purpose flour
4. 1 ½ cups sugar
5. 2 tsp allspice
6. 1 tsp baking powder
7. 1 tsp salt
8. 1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)
9. 3 eggs
10. ½ cup milk
11. 1 tsp vanilla flavoring

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the tangerines (do not peel first). Bring 1 ½ cups sugar and ½ cup water just to boiling, add the tangerine slices, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture becomes like syrup. Remove the orange slices and set the syrup aside to cool. Grease 6 custard cups or muffin tins with softened butter; arrange several candied tangerine slices in the bottom of each and set aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C).
3. Over medium heat, cook the figs and water together on the stovetop for 10 minutes, or until the figs soften. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, allspice, baking powder and salt. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth using electric beaters. Fold in the figs and liquid. Add the batter to the prepared cups, filling each ¾ full. Place the cups (or muffin tin) in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool for several minutes, loosen sides of cakes and invert onto serving dish. Spoon reserved syrup over cakes and serve warm.

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

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