Title: Williamsburg Orange-Sherry Cake
Categories: Cake
Yield: 12 Servings
| CAKE |
| 1 | c | Golden raisins |
| 1/2 | c | Dry sherry |
| 2 1/2 | c | Sifted unbleached flour |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Baking soda |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 3/4 | c | Unsalted butter, room temp |
| 1/2 | c | Dark brown sugar |
| 1 | c | Sugar |
| 3 | | Eggs |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Vanilla |
| 1 | | Orange, finely grated zest |
| | | Of |
| 1 1/2 | c | Buttermilk |
| 1/2 | c | Chopped pecans |
| FROSTING |
| 1/2 | c | Unsalted butter, room temp |
| 1 | lb | Powdered sugar |
| 4 | tb | UP TO ... |
| 5 | tb | Cointreau |
| 2 | tb | Finely grated orange zest |
| | | Orange slices |
| | | Pecan halves |
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" cake pans. To make the cake, sift the
flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside. Cream the butter and
sugars in a alrge 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 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 spreadable 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.
From The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Russo & Sheila Lukins.