Written By: Amanda Abplanalp

You know those different hacks you see on social media for camping or traveling? I’ve always wondered if they actually work, so I’ve made it my mission to try them out and see if they work, so you don’t have to.

My Second Mission – Cake in the Orange

When it comes to camping, I think we can all agree there is a lot of stuff we have to get together to go; like all of the gear, equipment, kitchen supplies, and all the food. So, how do I find all the time to get this done and still make sure we’re not eating the same food every time we go? The answer is simple… prep, prep, and prep. The one thing that can make your camping trip easier is preparing more ahead of time.

A staple on every camping trip is to make s’mores over the fire, but do you really want the same dessert every night you’re camping? I decided to try a dessert recipe I found online, Cake in the Orange.

This hack is a very simple recipe that will take you no time at all to make. All you need is several oranges and your favorite cake mix from a box. I chose chocolate cake mix because I thought it would pair well with the orange.

Once you have the ingredients, you need to prep the oranges. To do that, you need to take an orange and cute a circular hole on the top that’s big enough to get through the rind. You need to make sure not to poke any holes through other parts of the orange though. Once you got your cut you’ll want to take the top off and set it aside. Scrape away all the orange pulp with a spoon and put into a medium sized bowl. If there is a little bit of pulp you can’t get out it’s fine. You’ll need to just make sure there is enough space for the cake mix. Then repeat the steps on all the other oranges.

The easiest part is the cake mix. You just need to need to follow the recipe on the box. The only added step is with some of the water you need to use for the mix I would use at least 1/4 to 1/3 a cup of the juice from the oranges you gutted out. You want to get some of the flavor of the orange into the cake itself. You don’t have to use the juice from the orange but it’s highly suggested.

Once the cake mix is made you will need to add the mix into the orange bowls you just made. Now when I did this I made the mistake of putting too much mix into the oranges, forgetting about the cake expanding. You want to fill the oranges just a little over half way. Once you have your oranges filled then you put the tops you set aside on it. Once you have all the tops on the oranges you then wrap tin foil all around the orange. If there is any extra cake mix you can store it in a freezer bag to make later or feel free to make some cupcakes with the mix.

Bring the wrapped oranges camping and get a campfire going. You need to get the fire burning enough so it has some good burning coals in it. Once it’s hot enough, set them in the fire. The cakes take about 30 to 40 minutes to cook. Once they are done, sit back and enjoy your cake. Bon Appetite!