Delicious Orange Citrus Cake

OK...so I might be obsessed with orange cake. I never knew orange cake existed until a co-worker brought some in to share. Immediately I fell in love with the combination of flavors and declared it my new summer obsession.

The secret to the cake is using fresh orange zest. You can pretty much add this to any vanilla or yellow cake recipe and it will do the trick. The recipe I used is below. I modified a basic cake recipe and added in vanilla yogurt which make the cake nice and moist!

Orange Cake w/ Yogurt

1 1/2 Cup Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Vanilla

1 Stick of Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Vanilla Yogurt

1/4 Cup (approx.) freshly grated orange zest

1/2 Cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together sugar and butter.

Beat in yogurt, eggs and vanilla.

Mix the dry ingredients separately and gradually add them into the wet mix.

Add in the orange zest and juice

Pour into a well greased and floured cake pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

** special addition**

If you're like me and love all things sugary and gooey, read on:

Mix 1 Tsp orange zest and 1/4 cup orange juice with powdered sugar(about 1 cup) until thick and creamy. As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, pour the mixture over the top so it sinks in. Trust me, it's THAT good!!

The classic cookie

So, I thought I'd start out my blog with an oldie but goodie: The Chocolate Chip Cookie. An absolute favorite, I don't think I've ever used the same recipe twice. I made these last night and they might just be my best cookie ever. It's pretty much a basic recipe with french vanilla pudding and a bit of oatmeal which gives the cookie a buttery crispy outside and a soft, chewy inside. AMAZING! I found the recipe online - so I can't take credit for it - but here it is with a few of my modifications:

Here is the recipe I used:

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package instant french vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup instant oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together butter, sugars and then beat eggs in one at a time. Add Vanilla. Mix in dry ingrediants & Oats. Finish with chocolate chips & walnuts.

Bake at 350 until tops are golden brown (about 10 minutes).