Williamsburg Orange Sherry Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
1 C. golden raisins
1/2 C. dry sherry
2 1/2 C. sifted unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C. dark brown sugar
1 C. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 orange, finely grated zest of
1 1/2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. chopped pecans
Frosting:
1/2 C. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. up to 5 Tbsp. cointreau
2 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
Orange slices
Pecan halves
Cooking Instructions
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 inch cake pans. To make the cake, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars in a large 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 for 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 spread able 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.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)