Cinnamon Walnut Orange Snacking Cake

This is one of the best snacking cake recipes that we have ever tried. It is rich, sweet, and moist with a crackly sugar top.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 orange
1 cup raisins, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup cinnamon chips
2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

1. Cream together the butter and the first cup of sugar. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
2. Grate the zest from orange and juice the orange. You should have about 2 tablespoons zest and about 1/3 cup juice. Add the zest to the creamed mixture. Set the juice aside.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl. Mix about half of the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Add the buttermilk and combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over beat. Add the raisins, cinnamon chips, and walnuts.
4. Bake in a greased 9x13-inch cake pan for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a rack.
5. Mix the second cup of sugar with the orange juice. Spread the sugar and orange mixture over the top of the cake while it is still hot. Move the rack high in the oven. Heat the oven to 425. Place the cake under the top element for three to five minutes or until the sugar is bubbly and caramelized.
6. Set the pan back on the rack to cool. Run a spatula along the edges of the cake so that the melted sugar will not cool and stick to the pan.