Family Favorites - Cranberry-Orange Pound Cake

A yellow cake mix, Instant pudding mix, orange peel and Cranberries, what could be easier. 5 Minutes to put together and a hour to bake and you have a versatile cake that can be used for a coffee hour or a dessert when you use the sauce that comes with the recipe. We like the sauce, but seldom use it as it is so good on its own. The Orange Peel adds just the right taste touch to this cake. It is moist and keeps well, even though it never lasts long at our house.

I generally have frozen cranberries on hand. I buy several bags when they are in season. Nothing to freezing them, just put them in the bag they come in, in your freezer and you are ready to go. Strangely enough, I don’t like Cranberry Sauce or Relish but do like them in desserts, muffins and cookies. I have even eaten Cranberry Pie that was quite good.

Cranberry-Orange Pound Cake

Makes:16 serving

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® golden vanilla or yellow cake mix

1 box (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (do not thaw frozen cranberries)

Powdered sugar, if desired

Orange Sauce, if desired

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup butter

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour, or spray with baking spray with flour, 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.

2. In large bowl, beat dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, melted butter, orange peel and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in cranberries. Spread in pan.

3. Bake 57 to 63 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

4. In 1-quart saucepan, cook all sauce ingredients over medium heat about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Serve warm or cool sauce with cake.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 63 to 69 minutes.

Do-Ahead Tip

This moist and fruity cake can be frozen up to 2 months.