Citrus Sunshine Breakfast Cake for those Dark and Dreary Winter mornings...

I am quite sure if you listen to the news lately, no matter where you live in the United States (and possibly elsewhere) you know that my state, Minnesota, is experiencing some of the coldest temps we have had in four years or more. As in standing temps below zero with windchills cold enough to freeze the nose right off your face.

No kidding.

Today it was so cold that I showed my Big Kid that you can blow bubbles out the door, and watch them freeze, 

then shatter on the ground outside.

 I guess a TV station up in the Cities decided to show folks how you can toss out a cup of boiling water and get frozen mist in about two seconds. Makes me laugh to think about it. Great WOW factor.

We have to do SOMETHING to keep from going stir crazy during these stretches of brutal cold in January!!! 

So laugh along with me.

Today is Tasty Tuesday, and I am getting right back in the swing of things to show you one of our very VERY favorite cakes to make for breakfast or a snack for the kids. Right before Christmas, and the dreaded six weeks of illness that swept through our home, a good friend, Brenda Reynolds, shared this cake recipe with all of us over on a Cooking From Scratch page on Facebook. The combination of citrus and easiness immediately grabbed me, and the result was amazing.

Addicting.

Alluring.

Did I say amazing??

Now when I make it, I use 2 1/2 cup of my One-In-a-Million Master Cake mix, and one batch of my Pudding Master mix from the The Master Mix Way E-book. My Master Cake mix is made with freshly ground whole wheat, made with my WonderMill, so it is a healthy and filling option for my family.  Now of course, you can do it by going the boxed cake mix route, I just wanted to tell you MY option, and the option available to the almost 800 people who have bought a copy of my book. If you are interested in purchasing it, I am offering 50 for sale today (and until the promo code runs out) for 30% off if you use the promo code JanuarySunshineDeal.

The best way to describe this breakfast cake is by telling you it smells like sunshine on a warm summer day.........all mixed up in a cupcake taste. It uses orange juice, and I added in the mandarin oranges, the orange sugar, and the orange rind powder to make it super orange-ish and summery smelling. My kids literally came piling down the stairs yelling SUNSHINE CAKE this morning, and so I hope it has the same effect on your family.

Almost, but not quite, better than that first cup of coffee. :)

SO, with no more ado, I give you the recipe for 

Citrus Sunshine Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (or 2 1/2 cup master cake mix)

1 3 oz box vanilla pudding (or 3/4 cup master pudding mix+ 1 tsp vanilla extract)

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

3 tsp orange rind powder 

(dehydrated oranges ground in a food processor works well too)

*sprinkle nuts in the bottom of a greased and floured Bundt pan. mix the remaining ingredients, and beat on high for 2 minutes. Pour the batter over the nuts, using a spatula to scrape the bowl of the mixer clean and hopefully steal a little bite before it bakes. *wink wink*. Bake for 60 minutes in a 325* oven. Immediately pour the glaze listed below over and let it soak in for 30 minutes, then release the cake from the pan and serve or let it cool and serve. We like it warm.

Glaze is simple: take 1 cup sugar, 1/2 stick butter, and 1/4 cup orange juice. Bring to a boil and  cook for 2 minutes. Pour over cake when fresh out of oven.

I am telling you, one bite, and no matter the temp outside, you will be thinking of warm summer days and sitting in the sunshine with flip flops on your feet. To make the orange sugar I added to the batch at 1/4 cup per cake, I simply zested an orange and let it sit overnight in 1/4 cup of sugar. Either add it to your glaze sugar, or just toss it in the cake mix. Super good stuff.

See you tomorrow for our 4th Welcoming Wednesday Linky Party! Tell your friends and we will see just how many come to share this week! :)

Many Blessing to you and yours,

Heather

dreaming of summer......