My Ex-Sister-in-Law’s Orange Pour Cake

        I baked this moist tea cake for Christmas gifts in the sixties. I placed each cake on a vintage carved breadboard that cost five dollars back then and wrapped it in cellophane. Imagine having the time for such domestic arts. I am deeply envious.  Charlie Trotter gave a lunch for Chicago friends to celebrate publication of my memoir Insatiable last May using recipes from the book -- He served this tea cake with candied orange peel and orange ice cream.  It was a revelation.  

Cake:

        2 cups flour, plus 2 tbsp.

        1⁄2 cup butter, softened

        2 eggs

        2⁄3 cup sugar

        1 tsp. baking soda

        2 tbsp. grated orange zest

        1⁄2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

        3⁄4 cup sour cream 

Topping:

        1⁄2 cup sugar

        1⁄4 cup orange juice

        1 tbsp. grated orange rind

        Preheat oven to 375° F.

        Cream 2 tablespoons of the flour into softened butter in a large bowl. Beat eggs in small bowl. Add sugar and combine with flour and butter mixture.

        Sift remaining flour with baking soda and add slowly into the egg-butter-sugar mix until combined. Add grated orange rind, nuts, and sour cream. Pour or spoon into greased metal loaf pan.

        Bake 30 minutes.

        For the topping, combine sugar, orange juice, and 1 tbsp. grated orange rind.

        Remove cake from the oven when done and pour topping on cake while cake is still hot. 

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