When stressed out, bake a cake

( FOOD FOR THOUGHT at  www.truthcaster.com )

---

When stressed out, bake a cake:
What do you do when you’re stressed out? Today, my solution is baking a cake. Sure, I’m up against the deadline for an article I’m writing about a highly controversial and contentious issue. Sure, it’s due today. Yes, I’m procrastinating by baking a cake and blogging about it.
Here’s the cake. And the recipe.
So, tell me, what do you do when you get stressed out?

Norwegian Orange Honey Cake

I’m eating the cake as I write this, and let me tell you, it’s good. The original recipe called for honey–just plain old honey–but orange blossom honey accents the orange rind nicely and creates a remarkable aroma. This might be just the thing to inspire me to finish my article. Recipe adapted from Recipezaar.
4 cups flour, divided

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 eggs

2 1/3 cups sugar

1  1/2 cups sour cream

2 tablespoons orange blossom honey

3 tablespoons grated orange rind

powdered sugar, for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toss raisins in 1 tablespoon of the flour, separating raisins from each other so that none stick together. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and eggs until pale yellow and frothy. Add sour cream and honey and combine.
Sift flour, baking soda, cloves, and cinnamon, then add to the batter, mixing until just incorporated. Add orange rind and raisins, then spread into a greased cake pan* and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove cake from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.
Serves 12-16.
*A note about oven temperature, timing, and cake pan. The original recipe called for baking the cake in a 10-inch angel food cake pan at 325 degrees for 75 minutes. Not having anything of the sort, and not finding one at the grocery store–remember, I’m stressed out and procrastinating, so I decided to make an exception–I used a 12-cup bundt pan. Following product instructions, I lowered the recipe’s stated temperature and baking time. So, my advice to you is to stick to 325 degrees, and no matter what type of pan you use, check the cake from time to time to make sure you don’t overbake it.