$25,000 Orange Kiss me cake

 1950....the 2nd pillsbury national baking contest.....$25,000 bucks to the first place contestant.... that's a lot of money back now... Mrs. Peter Wuebel of Redwood City, Californee took home the prize and prestige that year with her Orange Kiss-Me Cake:

(click to enlarge for recipe)

i was intrigued as of what a high dollar cake tastes like, as anyone would be.

therefore i made my own and it was absolutely delish!

i was a bit confounded by the first direction of grinding together orange rinds, raisins, and walnuts. grind them with what? i have a mixer, some cutlery and a hammer....all which did not turn out acceptable results. i am sure more experienced, kitchen gadget-laden folks out there are smacking their foreheads over this profession.  in the end i (very frustratingly) used a blender and all turned out well in the end.

i have a few of these pillbury grand national prize winning recipes booklets (1951, 1955 and 1964... searching for more of early era) and have recently became interested in the idea of baking the winners. i see it as similar to the Julie and Julila movie.  except that when my movie would be made and the story scene switched from me it would be to Pillsbury's Poppin' Fresh having his doughy belly jabbed with a finger.