Oranges, whether you use the whole orange or just the juice and zest, are so refreshing and flavorful in baking. I remember my mother making an orange bread loaf. I thought it was so unique because it used the fresh orange zest. The flavor was so distinct along with the bread being wonderfully moist. This recipe was one that has remained with me over the years. When I came across this recipe for orange rolls it naturally caught my attention. After I read through numerous reviews, I realized there was some history behind them as well. It seems that the original recipe was called ‘Orange Butter Coffee Cake’ and was the $5000. prize winner in Pillsbury’s 16th Grand National Bake Off by Mrs. Lawrence Hoerig of Mequon, Wisconsin. Originally it had toasted coconut in the sugar/orange zest filling and more sprinkled over the top after it was baked.
Before there was The British Baking Show, Cupcake Wars etc. etc., there was the Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest. The legendary baking competition was introduced in 1949 in honor of Pillsbury’s 80th birthday and as an effort to promote Pillsbury™ Best® flour. At the heart of the Bake-Off was the desire to create an opportunity for American homemakers to not only share their beloved recipes, but to also share the stories that go along with them.
Originally called the Grand National Recipe and Baking Contest, 1949’s inaugural Bake-Off received thousands of entries from across the country. Pillsbury Best flour was a required ingredient in all recipe submissions and there were six categories that participants could enter: breads, cakes, pies, cookies, entrees and desserts. If participants submitted a seal from the Pillsbury Best flour they used in the recipe, their prize money could be doubled.
A panel of Pillsbury home economists eventually narrowed the entries down to 100 finalists. Each finalist was invited to the live competition at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City to make their recipe in hopes of winning the $25,000 grand prize. Before contestants could prepare their recipes, electricians installed 100 oven stations in a Waldorf-Astoria ballroom. In order to power all those ovens, the hotel actually had to tap into the electrical supply for the New York City subway system! Interesting!
Since its inception in 1949, the Bake-Off has inspired thousands of people to submit their original recipes and Pillsbury has awarded millions of dollars in prizes. Over time, the contest’s rules and regulations adapted to reflect evolving food trends and American culture.
I included the original recipe & a picture from the 1949 Bake-Off at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City at the bottom of the blog/recipe.
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- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted, divided
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 1 large orange, zested ( save juice for the glaze)
- 3/4 cup (150 gm) dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup butter,
- 2 Tbsp orange juice (reserved from above)
- pinch of salt
Ingredients
Dough
Glaze
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- In a small dish, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate.
- In a large bowl, combine yeast mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, 6 Tbsp melted butter, eggs, sour cream & salt until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, & combine until mixture is smooth. Gradually add remaining 1 (1/4) cups flour until it creates a soft dough (you may NOT need all of the flour).
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface & knead until smooth & elastic (about 5 minutes). Place in a lightly buttered bowl, turning to butter the top. Cover & let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until almost doubled in bulk.
- Combine the orange zest & 3/4 cup dark brown sugar in a bowl & stir until well combined. Set aside. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- When dough has risen, turn it onto a lightly floured surface & cut it evenly into 3 pieces. Roll each one into a rectangle with a thickness of 1/4-inch. Divide orange-zest/sugar mixture between the 3 pieces & lightly spread evenly.
- Starting from the longest side, roll each piece jelly-roll style. Slice a 1 1/2-inch long piece off each ends of the rolls. Cut the middle part of each roll into 4 triangles.
- In the middle of the springform pan, arrange cut ends of the rolls around each other to form a circle, placing the cut sides down. Arrange the cut triangles to completely surround the middle circle. Cover the pan with plastic wrap & a tea towel & allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the rolls are almost doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake rolls about 30-40 minutes or until baked & golden in color. Remove the rolls from the oven & start the glaze.
- Stir sugar, sour cream, butter orange juice & a pinch of salt together in a medium pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil & stir constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Pour the glaze evenly over warm rolls.
- Orange Butter Coffee Cake
$5000 prize winner in Pillsbury’s 16th Grand National Bake Off
Makes one large coffee cake.
Soften in a mixing bowl 1 pkg. dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.
Stir in
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
Gradually add 2 3/4 to 3 all purpose flour, beating well after each addition.
Cover and let rise in a warm place, 85 to 90 degrees, until doubled; about 2 hours.
Combine:
- 3/4 cup sugar,
- 3/4 cup coconut and
- 2 Tbsp. grated orange rind.
Knead dough on a well-floured board about 15 times. Roll out half of the dough in 12″ circle. Brush with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Sprinkle with half of the coconut mixture. Cut into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Roll up, starting with the wide end and rolling to a point. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. Place rolls point side down in a well greased 13×9″ pan. Cover and let rise until light and doubled; about one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Pour glaze over hot coffee cake and sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut. Cool in pan.
Orange Glaze.
Combine in a saucepan 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup dairy sour cream, 2 Tbsp. orange juice and 1/4 cup butter. Boil 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.