Kindness Cake

Name: Kindness Cake
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened; 1 1/2 cups white sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups buttermilk; 1 1/4 cups chopped pitted dates; 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen); 1 cup chopped almonds; Orange Icing; 2 tablespoons butter, softened; 2 cups icing sugar (sift through a sieve after measuring to remove lumps); 2 tablespoons orange juice

16 ingredients

12 steps

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/4 cups chopped pitted dates
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup chopped almonds
Orange Icing
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups icing sugar (sift through a sieve after measuring to remove lumps)
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; line 2 8x4 loaf pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2

In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until mixture is fluffy.
3

Next, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then stir in orange rind.
4

In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.
5

Stir dry mixture into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk (dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, finally dry).
6

Into this batter, stir in dates, cranberries and almonds just until combined.
7

Scrape batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake in the centre of preheated oven until a tester comes out clean, about 75 minutes.
8

Turn out onto cooling racks and cool completely.
9

You could now wrap cakes in heavyduty foil and freeze for up to one month, if you wish.
10

To make icing, beat butter with just 1/4 cup of the icing sugar, then beat in orange juice.
11

Beat in remaining sugar until icing is smooth.
12

Spread icing over tops of both cakes.