Orange Cake With Orange Syrup (mayas)

-ORANGE SYRUP-
1/4 c Sugar
1 c Orange juice
2 tb Butter

For the CAKE — Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Set aside.

Beat egg, egg white, butter, sugar and orange peel with electric mixer
until smooth and fluffy. Stir in orange juice and sour cream. (Note: It’s
OK if batter looks curdled.) Add flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Pour into 6-cup (8-inch) bundt pan that has been greased and dusted with
flour. Smooth top with spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees until browned and toothpick inserted into center comes
out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Gently invert onto
cake rack. Cool completely. (Note: The cake can be made a day ahead and
kept at room temperature or frozen up to 3 months, wrapped airtight.)

To serve, tent cake with foil and warm in 300-degree oven until just heated
through, not hot, about 10 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices and arrange 2
slices, overlapping, on each dessert plate.

For the ORANGE SYRUP — Bring sugar, orange juice and butter to boil in
small saucepan, stirring well. Simmer, uncovered, until slightly syrupy and
reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 8 minutes. (Note: Syrup can be made day
ahead and refrigerated.) Serve warm in small pitcher for pouring.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings with 2 teaspoons sauce: 288 calories;
238 mg sodium; 52 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 3
grams protein; 0.07 gram fiber.

Tip — I’ve used a small bundt pan, which seems just the right size for a
small group. Typically, this type of cake is glazed but here, the orange
syrup replaces the glaze. The cake is served gently warmed; pass the warm
orange syrup in a small pitcher. Just a small amount of this thin syrup
(equal to about 2 teaspoons) is drizzled over each serving. It’s a great
taste. — AM

GOOD COOKING: An Asian Meal for All Seasons. ** MENU * ASIAN FISH PACKETS *
THIN NOODLES WITH CARROTS, GREEN ONIONS AND CILANTRO * ORANGE CAKE WITH
ORANGE SYRUP ** I’ve adapted these recipes for grouper in coconut milk and
noodles with carrots from some dishes I tried at LE COLONIAL, A SMALL
INDOCHINESE RESTAURANT IN ST. BARTH’S IN THE FRENCH WEST INDIES. ** This is
a most appealing, upbeat meal. And although I like these dishes served hot,
they are also good served at room temperature or chilled in hot weather.
Snow peas make an excellent addition to the plate. ** A warm orange cake
served with warm orange syrup from Maya’s, a restaurant perched right on
the water’s edge, is a delicious finish for the meal. For a more festive
appearance, serve sliced, sugared strawberries or raspberries on the side.
** Mandel is a cookbook author. Her latest book is “Celebrating the
Midwestern Table” (Doubleday & Co., 1996).