With the Sweet Kiss of an Orange Blossom - A Connection Develops

We're having friends over for dinner tonight - two people we've known for a number of years, but because of my mother's passing, are now true and loved friends.

How did that happen?

Well, my mother's best friend for many years was a lovely woman who happened to be the mother of the friend coming for dinner tonight.
Mom and her BFF did many things together; went to church, to their Circle meetings, out to lunch; Mom even went to doctor appointments with her friend. My mother was heartbroken when she learned of her friend's passing nearly six-years ago.

Although I'd known Mom's BFF's daughter for many years, I had always considered her to be more of an acquaintance. We didn't really socialize together, and actually saw each other only a few times a year - primarily at church.

When I finally came out of the denial stage and admitted that Mother could possibly be transitioning and leaving this earth - along with my family, it is these two people to whom I reached out. They may have thought they were called upon because of his background as a former Methodist minister, but that isn't it at all. ('though to this moment I still can't pinpoint why it was them that I needed to see)
My friend's husband, whom my mother adored and held in very high esteem, performed Mom's funeral service, and in all of the confusion and overwhelming feelings with which I was facing, it is my friend who saw to all of my family's needs -- arranging for meals and more.

It cannot go unsaid - I am grateful for their friendship.

It is that bond that I will honor tonight with a homemade "Orange Kiss-Me Cake;" for two reasons:
1. It was one of Mother's favorites, and it is she who brought us together in friendship
2. It's a recipe Mom made for family gatherings or when friends were coming over.
I remember her making it even when I was a child. In fact, here in Florida when the orange groves are in full bloom, the air is filled with the sweet aroma of citrus - a beautiful thing - and that's when I especially get a hankering for one of Mom's cakes.
Yummy!

Sidebar before I give you the recipe...
When I was making the recipe scrapbooks that are mentioned in previous posts, Mom wanted to include the "Orange Kiss-Me Cake," but couldn't find her original recipe card. She said, "It doesn't matter. I know how to make it." And she proceeded to give me the instructions to include in the recipe book.
Fast forward to today when I was making the cake. I had found her original recipe card in her little index box, and thought I'd compare the two.
Guess what? They are different! (slightly, but different is different when it comes to recipes)
So, I panicked. 
Obviously I couldn't call my mother, which sent a streaming ocean of tears down my cheeks. But then I called my younger sister to see if she had ever made one. It turns out she baked her first "Orange Kiss-Me Cake" about two years ago. She had some problems with the recipe, and thank goodness - Mother was still living and able to help her through it. Today, she gave me those tips.
This one's for you, too, Sis!

Here's the recipe:
"Orange Kiss-Me Cake"

Ingredients
1-cup sugar                              2-cups flour
1/2-cup butter, softened           1-tsp. baking soda
1-tsp. salt                                  1-cup buttermilk or sour milk (instructions at end)
1-tsp. vanilla                             2-eggs

1-cup raisins
1-orange
1/2-cup pecan pieces

Topping
Reserved orange juice
1-cup 10X powered sugar
Reserved orange/raisin/nut mixture
and - the juice from 1 additional orange

Directions
Squeeze the juice of one orange into a bowl. Then remove the seeds and cut the orange into smaller pieces, including all of the rind and pulp, and grind in food processor. (Mother used a meat grinder) Add the raisins and grind, then add the pecan pieces. Add all but 1/3 of the orange juice and mix well. (reserve the remaining juice for the topping) Set all aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until well blended. Add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda and salt) alternating with the soured milk or buttermilk. Mix on medium speed until batter is fluffy.
Add half of the orange/raisin/nut mixture to the cake batter and mix until well blended. Pour into prepared 13"X9" baking dish and bake at 350-degrees for 35-45 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

While cake is baking, prepare topping. Combine the remaining orange/raisin/nut mixture with 1-cup of powdered sugar and the reserved orange juice. Mix well and set aside until cake is done.
Using the one additional orange, squeeze the juice out and set aside.
When cake is done, remove from oven and immediately pour the juice from the one additional orange over the top of the cake, followed by icing the top of the cake with the orange/raisin/nut mixture. Since the cake is hot, the icing will melt right into the cake.

How my mother made sour milk for baking:
Many recipes for cakes, cookies and breads call for buttermilk or sour milk. "Back in the day" cooks may have used milk that had been left standing out for several days; an idea that's not considered to be safe today. My mother rarely had buttermilk on-hand, so she combined 1-cup of milk with 1-tsp. of vinegar and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The milk should begin to curdle slightly, creating your sour milk for your recipe.

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This cake is so light and fluffy and tastes like the same fragrance that fills the Florida air every year: the sweet bouquet of orange blossoms in the spring combined with the aroma of oranges being processed at the many juice plants in the winter.
Try it the next time you have guests visiting from "Up North." It's the perfect dessert that also screams "Welcome to my home, friends!"
Tonight it will welcome our special friends into our home.


Love you, Mom, but your vacation time is up -- It's now time to come home.

Technology Update:
I took photos to share with you as I was baking this cake, but - unfortunately - a piece of the camera memory card broke off inside my computer. Now I'm going to be at the mercy of The Geek Squad. I'll add the photos later.

The Girls!

In the kitchen with Mom.