Fresh Orange Birthday Cake

INGREDIENTS

• cooking spray
• flour
• 1 lg orange
• 1 c orange juice from a carton
• 1 pkg plain yellow cake mix
• 1 pkg vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist cake pan(s) with cooking spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set pan(s) aside.
2. Rinse the orange and pat it dry with paper towels. Grate enough zest to measure 3-3 teaspoons. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl; you will have about 1/2 c of juice. Add enough orange juice to measure 1-1/3 cups.
3. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, vanilla, eggs and orange juice and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until moistened, 30 seconds. Stop the machine, and scrape down the side of the bowl with a spoonula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until well combined and smooth, about 1-1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. Divide the cake among pan(s) smoothing the top with the spoonula. Place the pan(s) in the oven.
4. Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly with a finger (see package for approximate bake time by pan). Let cool on wire rack. Let cool to room temperature, about 25-30 minutes.
5. Make the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting.

Store loosely covered with wax paper for up to one week in refrigerator.

-- JMagGuthrie - 20 Dec 2013