CAKE BATTER:

6 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbs freshly squeezed tangerine juice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbs grated tangerine zest

TANGERINE GLAZE:

1 cup 10x sugar, sifted
1 tbs grated tangerine zest
3 tbs freshly squeezed tangerine juice

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. have an ungreased 10″ tube pan with a removable bottom ready.

in a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. slowly add, about a tablespoon at a time, 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating well after each addition. continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. set aside.

in another large bowl, using the mixer, beat the egg yoks until light and fluffy, about 3-3 1/2 minutes. beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar until incorporated. alternately beat in the flour and salt with the juice. blend in the nutmeg and zest.

spoon the batter into the tube pan. bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes, or until the cake springs back when you press it gently with your fingertips. invert the cake in the pan, standing the pan on its prongs. or invert the pan over a long-necked bottle. let cool completely.

when it is cool, remove the cake to a plastic cake or cardboard round.

make the glaze: put the sugar in a small bowl and whisk in the zest and juice. drizzle the glaze over the cake and allow it to set.

makes 1 (10″) cake

1 box devil’s food cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
1 (6 oz) pkg chocolate chips

combine first six ingredients and mix thorughly. add chocolate chips and mix. pour into a well-greased bundt pan. bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. cool for at least 20 minutes; remove from pan to complete cooling.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

mix graham cracker crumbs and butter together; press onto bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan. mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. reserve 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture; add pumpkin, remaining sugar and spices to remaining cream cheese mixture. mix well. pour pumpkin mixture over crust. swirl reserved cream cheese mixture over pumpkin mixture and cut rhough batter with knife several times for a marble effct. bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees. loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim. chill.

10-12 servings

1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. add rest of ingredients and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin.) pour into 2 greased 9″ round pans or one 9″x13″ pan. bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. frost with frosting of your choilce.

CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 tbs tequila
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

TO BRUSH THE CUPCAKES:

1-2 tbs tequila

TEQUILA-LIME FROSTING:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups 10x sugar
1 tbs lime juice
2 tbs tequila
pinch of coarse salt

preheat the oven to 325 degrees. line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla and tequila. mix until combined. (the mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry. it will all come back together.)

reduce the mixer speed to low. add the dry ingredients in three batches, alernating with the buttermilk in two batches. mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

divide the batter between the muffin cups. bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

allow cupcakes to cool for 5-10 mnutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1-2 tbs of tequila. set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

to make the frosting: whip the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the 10x sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. add the lime juice, tequila and salt and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. if the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.

makes 12 cupcakes