No fancy ingredients here and yet this cake is extremely moist.
For a delightful thanksgiving centerpiece cake, substitute raisins
with craisins or sweetened dried cranberries for cake and garnish
iced cake with well-drained canned mandarin orange wedges and
craisins
MY MOIST ORANGE CAKE
CAKE:
1 box yellow cake mix (I always use Duncan Hines)
1/2 cup vegetable oil or corn oil
4 large eggs
1 cup pureed mandarin orange (see below)
1/2 cup raisins
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3 cups powdered or confectioners's sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons pureed mandarin orange
PUREED MANDARIN ORANGE:
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange, with juice
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease (or lightly spray with cooking oil) and line bottom of two 9-inch round baking pans with Reynolds® Parchment Paper; set aside.
Using food processor or blender, puree mandarin orange (with juice) and lime juice and measure 1 cup pureed mandarin orange for the cake.
Place cake mix, oil, eggs, 1 cup pureed mandarin orange in a large mixing bowl. Beat using electric mixer, start with low speed and increase to medium speed to blend well. Fold in raisins. Divide cake batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 F. Check cake for doneness after 30 minutes (cake is done when it is golden brown and wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean). Let cool completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, blend together
cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer. Add powdered
sugar, a little at a time, blending well on low speed. Then slowly
mix in pureed mandarin orange and blend until smooth and fluffy.
Fill and frost cake and garnish with mandarin orange wedges and
raisins.
