Orange Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

As a self admitted internet junky, I do a lot of surfing.  Well, about a year ago when I was laid up with a leg injury, I rediscovered Facebook.  I had a Facebook account for years but never used it and quite frankly I didn't like their privacy policy.  Boredom does strange things so I started exploring Facebook back then and now it is my number one way to keep in touch with our kids when away as I can always find a Wi-Fi hotspot so communication is free.  I'm on Facebook daily now.  On the sidebar of the Facebook dashboard there are advertising links.  Well this link for an orange cream cheese bread finally caught my interest. Reading through the recipe I thought it would be a keeper but knew right off the bat that it would not be a bread texture, rather more of a coffee cake texture.  I made a few adjustments so the recipe is different but quite delicious!

Looking at a recipe and knowing instinctively what to change is a good thing.  Always remember that a recipe is just a starting point.  There is nothing written in stone that a recipe cannot be modified.  That's what makes cooking so much fun!

This coffee cake was simply delicious!  It was lightly flavoured, moist and tender.  We sliced the loaf then cut into 1 - inch fingers, topping them simply with a mixture of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.  It was a nice end to a beautifully grilled dinner!

Orange Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
source:  Garden Gnome

1 c spreadable cream cheese
½ c shortening
1⅔ c organic granulated sugar
2 eggs
2¼ c unbleached flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 c milk
2 tbsp grated orange peel
¼ c fresh squeezed orange juice
icing sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°F/175°C.  Cream cream cheese, shortening and sugar in bowl of stand mixer.  Add eggs blending well after each.  Blend in milk.  In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder and orange peel.  Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Pour the mixture into a lightly greased loaf pan.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Remove from loaf pan and allow to cool.  Place loaf on the cooling rack on a large plate.   Poke several holes in the top of the loaf with a tooth pick.  Pour the orange juice slowly over the top of the loaf.  Let sit to absorb the juice.  Transfer the loaf to serving platter.  Sprinkle with icing sugars.  Serve topped with fresh berries if desired.

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