A to Z Challenge - O

O is for Oranges and Olives

 Orange cake
This is a lowbrow cake, but it is super easy and delicious.
One Duncan Heinz yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter melted & cooled
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white rum
2 tsp orange essence- undyed
2 oranges, sliced through the width, so that each slice is made of sections of the natural wedges.
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup orange marmalade + tsp white rum
2 8oz. bricks of cream cheese
powdered sugar
Orange zest.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour (thickly) two 9" cake pans. In a large bowl combine mix, butter, eggs, milk, rum & orange essence. Follow package directions for blending. Line the bottom of the pans with the orange slices. Split the batter into the two pans. Bake for 35 - 40 min. Turn out the pans with the oranges up onto a wire rack. Let cool.
In a mixer combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and orange essence to taste. Toast walnuts - chop. Mix walnuts and orange marmalade with rum. Spread this mixture on top of one layer. Place 2nd layer and frost. Garnish with zest.


Warm Marinated Olives.
Take a cup of basic mixed olives in brine. Add these to a small frying pan with 1/2 cup best-quality extra-virgin olive oil. 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, sliced, a red chili, some fresh rosemary and/or thyme plus salt & pepper to taste. Toast this mixture until the oil just begins to bubble. DO NOT ALLOW THE GARLIC TO BROWN. Pour into a jar, refrigerate, and re-heat to serve after 2 or 3 days.