Courtesy of Chowhound user Tehama

Orange Ring Cake

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter *
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream *
1 3/4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
grated rind of one orange
(* please have these ingredients at room temperature)

Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg yolks, sour cream, and orange rind; beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder into the first mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold into the mixture.

Turn into a well greased and floured bundt pan; bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Loosen carefully around edge and turn-out onto a rimmed plate. Deeply and repeatedly pierce the top of the cake with a very thin skewer (eg, like a wooden skewer used for chicken satay) and then spoon the hot orange sauce over the top of the cake slowly. (The hot orange sauce will “leak” from the cake, so make sure it is placed in a rimmed plate.)

Hot Orange Sauce

Juice of 2 oranges (a little less than 1 cup); Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TBL); 3/4 c. of sugar; dash of salt

Combine ingredients; let sugar first dissolve over low heat, then bring to a rolling boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

(1 orange = 1/2 c. so, if you are in a pinch, 6 oz. of frozen orange concentrate could be substituted)

Courtesy of yumsugar.com

Cake Ingredients

1 cup root beer schnapps
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned style root beer (like A&W or Dads)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Root Beer Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup root beer
3 Tbs. root beer schnapps*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil

*for a more kid friendly version, replace schnapps with more root beer

You will also need some extra root beer schnapps (1 Tbs. per cupcake)
Or for the kiddies use root beer (again 1 Tbs. per cupcake)
You will also need some basic Vanilla buttercream ( there are many recipes online to try )

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, mix together root beer schnapps, root beer, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, mix until smooth
5. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Mix with hand mixer on low, while slowly pouring in root beer mixture.
7. Mix until smooth and lump free.
8. Pour into lined cupcake pan. (Use foil cupcake liners to avoid “leakage” later.) Fill nearly to the top, you may think its over-filled, but it puffs up perfectly this way. Don’t be tempted to use more than 24 cupcake cups… trust me. Smiling
9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until golden brown and cake springs back when touched.
10. While cupcakes are baking, prepare your butter cream and root beer glaze. For glaze, put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wisk until smooth and lump free.
11. To assemble, start by letting cupcakes cool, still in the pan.
12. While still slightly warm, pour 1 Tbs. of root beer schnapps over each cupcake. Pour on slowly to allow schnapps ( or regular root beer for the kiddies) to soak in.
13. Once the schnapps has soaked in and let sit for a few minutes, pour a couple tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake.
14. When the glaze sets up a bit and isn’t too runny, put a “scoop” of buttercream atop each. For an added touch, you can even place a root beer barrel candy on each one.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Earth Balance is my go to guy when it comes to vegan alternatives for butter. I’ll be honest with you, it’s not the same if you’re going to smear it on toast but in baked goods you’re not going to notice the difference. For eggs I’ve found I’m happiest with the Ener-G egg replacer. Some of the other vegan egg substitutes leave a funny taste in my mouth, though that might be just me. This recipe is an adaptation of the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe.
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Sticks (trust me, it’s better than it sounds) brought to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup water
2 cups vegan chocolate chips (some use dairy – the higher end ones generally don’t, but check the label to be sure)
1. Preheat oven to oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat buttery sticks, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg replacer to water and then pour into butter mixture then beat until combined . Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.