Kitty's Orange Cake

## Ingredients

**Orange Cake**

* 1 box yellow cake mix ***(1 pound, 2.25 ounces)***
* One package ***(3 ounces)*** orange Jell-O powder ***(NOT sugar free)***
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 teaspoon orange extract
* ½ cup vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon orange zest ***(optional—if you like it super orangey)***
* 4 large eggs
* 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels\*\*\* ***(6-ounce package—I used Nestles)***
	+ \*\*\*These are miniature chocolate chips. If you can't find them in your area, you can use regular size chocolate chips and cut them in halves, or quarters. If you use them as is, they'll sink to the bottom and make your cake hard to remove from the pan.

**Orange-Fudge Frosting**

* 2 Tablespoons chilled butter ***(¼ stick, ⅛ cup)***
* 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ***(6-ounce bag)***
* 1 teaspoon orange extract
* 2 Tablespoons orange juice

## Directions

**Orange Cake**

* Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle position.
* Grease and flour a Bundt pan. ***(I sprayed mine with Pam and then floured it.)***

**Hannah's 1st Note: You can make this cake without an electric mixer if you have a strong arm and determination, but it's a lot easier if you use one.**

* Dump the dry yellow cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Mix in orange Jell-P powder. Add the orange juice, orange extract, vegetable oil and the orange zest ***(if you decided to use it)***. Mix all the ingredients together until they are well blended.
* Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
* Beat 2 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer or 3 minutes by hand.
* Fold in the mini chocolate morsels by hand.
* Pour the cake batter into the Bundt pan.
* Bake at 350°F for 45 to 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry.
* Cool on a rack for 20-25 minutes. Loosen the outside edges and the middle, and tip the cake out of the pan. Let the cake cool completely on the rack.
* When the cake is cool, drizzle Orange-Fudge Frosting over the crest and let it run down the sides. ***(Or, if you don't feel like making a glaze, just let the cake cool completely and dust it with confectioners sugar.)***

**Orange-Fudge Frosting**

* Place the butter in the bottom of a 2-cup microwave-safe bowl. ***(I used a glass one-pint measuring cup.)*** Add the chocolate chips. Heat on HIGH for 60 seconds.
* Stir to see if the chips are melted. ***(They tend to maintain their shape even when melted, so you can't tell just by looking.)*** If they're not melted and can't be stirred smooth, heat them on HIGH at 15-second intervals until they are, stirring to check after each 15-second interval.
* Add the orange extract and stir it in.
* Add the orange juice Tablespoon by Tablespoon, stirring after each addition.
* Pour the frosting over the ridge of the cake, letting it run partway down the sides. It will be thicker on top. That's fine. ***(And if it's not, that's fine, too—you really can't go wrong with this cake.)***
* Refrigerate the cake without covering it, for at least 20 minutes before serving. That "sets" the frosting. After the 20-minute refrigeration, the cake can be left out at room temperature, if you wish.

## Hannah's 2nd Note:

*When I bake this cake for Mother, I use both the orange extract and the orange zest. Mother adores the combination of orange and chocolate. Come to think of it, Mother adores ANY combination that includes chocolate.*

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.