Happy New Year!! I can’t believe 2019 is here…where did 2018 go? I took a little bit of a blogging break the last couple months, but like everything, I’m ready to get back to a regular schedule of posting new recipes, working out, reading and focusing on slowing down.
I’m part of several mom groups on Facebook and when a request came out for donations to our local Fire Company for their Holiday Appreciation dinner, I knew I wanted to make them something. While we have never needed their service, they have done so much for our community and are always there…so needless to say, it was the least I could do. I did a little scouring of my Pinterest boards and discovered this recipe for cranberry pecan cake. It looked pretty easy to make in between everything else I had going on and whipped it together in time for their dinner. It smelled amazing, that I had to make another one for my Christmas dinner at my in-laws. It tasted just as amazing as it smelled!
It’s a moist cake spotted with tart pieces of cranberries, crunchy pecan bits and topped with a perfectly sweet cream cheese frosting hinted with orange and more pecans. You can’t go wrong with this cake!
1 box white cake mix
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. In the bowl of stand mixer, combine the cake mix, milk, eggs, oil, sour cream and zest. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in the chopped cranberries and pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. I use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide the batter.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then remove. Transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, salt and vanilla in a bowl of stand mixer until smooth. Stir in the orange zest. Gradually add the confectioners sugar one cup at a time until you reach the desired frosting constituency. I used 4 cups both times. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Frost between both layers and the sides and the top of the cake. If desired, serve with sugared cranberries or additional chopped pecans.
Source: Let’s Dish Recipes
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