Something Sweet: December 2005 Archives

Pretty little cakes are the perfect thing to package up, maybe with some coffee or tea, to give to a coworker or friend. Todd gave me a mini-bundt pan one year, and it's an easy way to make any quick bread recipe pretty cute. A couple years ago I made lemon-rosemary cakes out of Woman's Day. This time I made orange-scented cranberry-pecan cakes. The quick breads with fruit or nuts in them don't turn out quite as neat in the mini bundts, but they didn't look too bad. I made one fruit-and-nut-free for August, too.

The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, but I had dried, so I used 1 cup and soaked them in orange liquer overnight. Then I sifted together 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the zest of one orange. Tossed the drained, patted-dry cranberries and 1/2 cup pecans with a couple tablespoons of the flour mixture. Then mixed 1/4 cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar and 1 egg. Stirred in 3/4 cup orange juice, then the remaining flour mixture. Made one bundt for August, then stirred the nuts and cranberries into the rest. Baked in 350 degree oven for half an hour.

Pretty little cakes are the perfect thing to package up, maybe with some coffee or tea, to give to a coworker or friend. Todd gave me a mini-bundt pan one year, and it's an easy way to make any quick bread recipe pretty cute. A couple years ago I made lemon-rosemary cakes out of Woman's Day. This time I made orange-scented cranberry-pecan cakes. The quick breads with fruit or nuts in them don't turn out quite as neat in the mini bundts, but they didn't look too bad. I made one fruit-and-nut-free for August, too.

The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, but I had dried, so I used 1 cup and soaked them in orange liquer overnight. Then I sifted together 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the zest of one orange. Tossed the drained, patted-dry cranberries and 1/2 cup pecans with a couple tablespoons of the flour mixture. Then mixed 1/4 cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar and 1 egg. Stirred in 3/4 cup orange juice, then the remaining flour mixture. Made one bundt for August, then stirred the nuts and cranberries into the rest. Baked in 350 degree oven for half an hour.