Mother's Citrus Orange Cake

I love all orange flavored baked goods, so this one caught my eye even before I realized it was a family treasure.

I also liked that it is not merely an Orange Cake, but a Citrus one to boot.

The artist bio reads "Has worked extensively designing and creating Party Table Decorations for Elizabeth Arden, of the famous Fifth Avenue cosmetic firm".

What a plum gig!

Where do I sign up?

Mother's Citrus Orange Cake

(A Family Treasure)

3/4 cups butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup fresh buttermilk

1 cup walnuts, chopped very fine

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 whole orange (put through food chopper)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped dates

Method: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add well-beaten eggs. Add nuts, dates and ground orange. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Turn into well-greased, floured long loaf cake pan. Bake 1 1/2 hours in 325 degree oven.

When baked and still hot from oven, pour over top the following mixture:

Juice of 1 1/2 oranges (3/4 cups) plus grated rind mixed with 3/4 cups sugar -- mix thoroughly.

Allow cake to age 24 hours before cutting. Will keep moist for days.

Pineapple Pan Cake (aka upside down cake)

Here's a recipe that my Dad would probably love. Wish he lived closer so that I could have him taste test it!

Pineapple Pan Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 can pineapple

Melt the butter in a skillet, add sugar and cover the bottom with slices of pineapple. Allow this to brown a few minutes; remove from fire and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes so that the fruit may absorb the sugar and butter.

To this mixture add the following batter:

1 cup sugar

2 eggs (separate)

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

Cream sugar and add beaten yolks, fruit juice and the flour sifted with the baking powder, then fold in stiffly beaten whites. Pour this mixture over the pineapple--which has been cooling--and bake (in the frying pan or skillet) in a slow oven about 45 minutes.

Remove from over and let cool about 15 minutes.

Place a large platter on top of pan and turnout cake. In each one of the pineapple holes place a red cherry. Serve with whipped cream.

Canned peaches may be used in place of the pineapple.

This makes 6 portions.