Cranberry Orange Cake

A colorful fruit-filled cake that's easy, too. Perfect for holidays, picnics, tailgates, and potlucks. Serves 12.

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups fresh whole cranberries
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped, dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
grated zest of 2 oranges
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
3/4 to 1 cup soy or rice milk mixed with 1 tablespoon. apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, fresh cranberries, pecans, apricots, dried cranberries and orange zest in a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl mix the canola oil, applesauce, and soy/rice milk and vinegar. Fold the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients and combine gently.

Mist a 10-inch bundt or tube pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, jiggle pan to even it, and bake at 350° for about 55-60 minutes, until a straw can be inserted into cake and come out clean. The top of cake should be firm and lightly browned. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

With a toothpick or skewer poke 100 holes, evenly distributed, almost through the cake. Combine remaining sugar and orange juice and heat gently in a saucepan or microwave to dissolve sugar. Spoon hot sugar/orange syrup evenly over warm cake. Cool cake in pan. Carefully loosen sides of cake with a knife and turn cake upside down onto a serving plate. Cover with wax paper and allow to stand a few hours before serving.

Adapted from a recipe in the San Jose Mercury News by Kay Bushnell