How To Make November Cakes

It's been way too long since I did a recipe post, and since I just reviewed The Scorpio Races, what better to write a food post on than the famous november cakes?

November Cakes

Ingredients:

~For the Cake~

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup veggie oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons (one packet) active dry yeast

~For the Filling~

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 tablespoons orange extract

~For the Glaze~

1/2 cup honey

8 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

~For the Icing~

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon water

To Make The Cake:

Microwave milk, water, oil, and butter for two minutes. Make certain it is not to hot to touch. (90-100 degrees. Hotter will kill off the yeast.) Crack eggs in to liquid. In the mixing bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the liquid and stir thoroughly. Add remaining 2 cups of flour one cup at a time, stirring between each addition. With mixer on low and using the bread paddle or hook, mix dough for 4 minutes. If you don't have a standing mixer, you can knead it by hand for 8 minutes instead.

Scrape dough into a greased and floured mixing bowl. Let rise for one hour in a warm place. I would advise to preheat your oven to 100 degrees, turn it off, and then put the dough inside covered with a towel. This will keep your yeast alive. After one hour, remove the dough and place on a floured cutting board. Gently roll it out to a 12x20 inch(ish) rectangle.

Combine 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 tablespoon orange extract for the filling. Spoon the filling to cover the rectangle, then roll it up. It will be slimy. Yummy, but slimy. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 1 rolls. They should be swirled like cinnamon rools, more or less.

Place each roll cut side up in a greased muffin tin and let rise for half and hour covered with a towel. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then bake rolls for 14 minutes. (Remove the towel before putting the rolls in th oven. I love fire, but not in the kitchen.) Let the rolls cool for a few minutes, then tip them out onto a large plate for the next step.

To Make The Glaze:

While the rolls are cooling, prepare glaze. Mix together honey, butter, and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil for two minutes (NO SKIMPING) while continuing to stir. Add whiping cream and vanilla, and mix well, keeping the stirring and heat constant until mixed through. Spoon glaze over the rolls. Because of the rolls' shape, the sides will likley remain glaze-free and the glaze should pool in the dimples and crevices on the top of the buns.

To Make The Icing:

Combine powdered sugar, melted butter, and water to desired consistency - thin enough to drizzle. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar, and if it's too thick, add water. Give the glaze five or ten minutes to cool, and then, with a spoon, drizzle icing in a zigzag pattern over the tops of the rolls.

Serve while warm, if possible, and enjoy!

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