This
beautiful and simple cake is glazed right out of the oven. It’s the
perfect balance of tart and sweet, and would be ideal for Christmas
breakfast or dessert.
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On the last day of school before winter break, the entire middle
school sits around in jammies, performs holiday skits, and exchanges
white elephant gifts. Last year around this time I was still trying to
find my place in a new city and a new school. I hadn’t been a new
teacher in so long that I’d forgotten how kids don’t immediately love
you. They don’t get your jokes. They don’t know with what weight to
interpret your reactions. They don’t know if it’s cool to want to be
around you. You spend a lot of time strategizing about where to sit,
what to do, and what to say to introduce yourself day after day. Even
once the kids choose you as their own, you must continue to nestle into
the fabric of your colleagues and learn the culture of the school. All
this while you’re struggling to manage the simplest things: trying to
find the closest gym or the best route to work. It was a hard year.
- Prep time
- Cook time
- Total time
Serves: 6 servings
[post_ads_2]Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 cups frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
Glaze Ingredients:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon orange extract
- milk to thin (I used around 3 tablespoons)
- orange zest for topping
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and extracts and blend until just combined. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the cranberries in the 1/4 cup reserved flour and then fold them (and the rest of the reserved flour) into the batter. (The dough is quite stiff, so be patient as you’re folding in the berries. It’ll seem like it’s mostly berries, but just trust me. It’ll be awesome.)
Spread the batter into a 10-inch skillet (I used the back of two spoons to work it around.) Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs (cooking time in a cast iron skillet can be variable, so check early and often.) While the cake is still hot, purée the jam and extracts together in a food processor. Slowly add the powdered sugar as you process. Add milk slowly to get the desired consistency — I ended up adding about 3 tablespoons. Pour your glaze over the hot cake. Top with orange zest and serve while warm.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Reserve about 1/4 cup of this mixture in a small bowl.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and extracts and blend until just combined. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the cranberries in the 1/4 cup reserved flour and then fold them (and the rest of the reserved flour) into the batter. (The dough is quite stiff, so be patient as you’re folding in the berries. It’ll seem like it’s mostly berries, but just trust me. It’ll be awesome.)
Spread the batter into a 10-inch skillet (I used the back of two spoons to work it around.) Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs (cooking time in a cast iron skillet can be variable, so check early and often.) While the cake is still hot, purée the jam and extracts together in a food processor. Slowly add the powdered sugar as you process. Add milk slowly to get the desired consistency — I ended up adding about 3 tablespoons. Pour your glaze over the hot cake. Top with orange zest and serve while warm.
