ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL

 I am fascinated with cookbooks from cafes, diners, and other places that serve food. My latest great find is Jane & Michael Stern's Southern Country Cooking from THE Loveless CAFE - Fried Chicken, Hams, and Jams from Nashville's Favorite Cafe. According to the inside jacket cover, it began in the forties as a party house, "a private home that had one of the largest hardwood living room floors around, perfect for dancing the night away. In the fifties it was known as the Harpeth Valley Tea Room owned by Lon and Annie Loveless. In 1951 it became the Loveless Cafe and in the seventies and eighties the modest roadside eatery that once had been Nashville's secret went national." The Loveless Cafe

The Orange Blossom Special is a delicious cake that was named for the popular country song that was named for a train. I decided to finally make it for the Blankets of Hope Quilters from church Tuesday since it was a special meeting. It was special because it was our "summer member" eleven-yr-old Darby's last joining us before school starts back for her. She made two Blankets of Hope this summer and we look forward to next summer already when she will be back with us.

Darby brought donuts so I ended up bagging up a donut and a slice of my cake for everyone to take home with them when they left. It was really a special cake.

(I didn't have the orange juice for the glaze so I just used water but added the dried orange peel to the powdered sugar. Worked out fine.)

PRINT RECIPE.

ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL

1     (3 - ounce) package orange gelatin

3/4   cup cold water

4      eggs

1      box lemon cake mix

3/4   cup oil

1      cup powdered sugar

2      tablespoons orange juice OR 2 tablespoons water + 1/2 teaspoon dried orange peel

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Bundt pan and set aside. (I used Baker's Joy to prepare my pan.)

Stir the gelatin into the cold water to dissolve. (I just did this in the measuring cup I used to measure the water.)

Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes. (I transferred the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.)

Add the cake mix and

beat 1 minute longer. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Add the oil and beat for 2 more minutes.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 40 minutes being careful not to overbake.

Combine the powdered sugar and

juice or water (+ the dried orange peel)

to make a glaze.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it is still hot.

Remove the cake from the pan onto your serving platter.

When cool dust with more powdered sugar before serving.