Butter Your Bundt: Cara-Cara Cake

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter a large (8-10 cup) bundt pan or line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper wrappers.

Wash oranges and dry them with a clean tea towel. Slice the ends off and cut the oranges into large chunks (peel and all). Toss the lot into a food processor and give it a whirl, but take care not to create a puree. You’re looking for a marmalade-like, chunky texture. Set aside.

In a large bowl using a mixer, mix butter and sugar to a fluffy consistency, then work the eggs in, one at a time. Stir vanilla into the mix.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and set aside.

Blend 1 1/2 cups of the orange mixture into the butter and sugar mixture. Gently add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.

Pour into buttered bundt pan or lined cupcake cups.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of half the bundt cake or half of the cupcakes.

Bake at 325 F: 55 minutes for the bundt cake or 20 minutes for the cupcakes. Stick a toothpick into the cake or cupcake and if it comes out clean you are done. Remove pan from oven and set on a rack. Allow for cooling about 10 minutes, then remove from pan(s).

For the lemon icing:
Mix juice, zest and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar until a smooth icing forms. Dip the non-chocolate muffin tops into the lemon icing and put aside to set.

For the chocolate icing:
Gently mix cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, add warm water and stir until smooth.

Dip the chocolate-chip muffin tops into the chocolate icing and put aside to set.

Adapted from Sunset Magazine’s Whole Orange Cake.