Orange-Maracuya Cake (Orange-Passion fruit Cake)

First of all--I will just say: Yum.
Second--you should totally make this because it is delicious.
It's a variation on a crazy cake recipe that is listed about 8 times in whatever fundraiser cookbook you most recently bought. You know, the butter-less, egg-less, milk-less one with vinegar. If you've never made that cake--well, I don't believe you--but here's a recipe for it.

Ok, good. Got it? Now you're ready for crazy cake level maracuya.

cut up and strain your fresh maracuya

squeeze some fresh oranges you just picked off the tree in the garden. add water to make 2 cups 

throw all the peelings in a pot, cover with water, and put on to boil a while 

get together 3C flour, 2C sugar, 2t soda, 1t salt, and some vanilla

add 3/4 C oil (or get close--it'll be fine)

consider adding vinegar, but decide oranges and passion-fruit are acidic enough--so skip it

add 2 cups fruit juice and get ready to mix--you already have the oven lit, right?

stir! quit taking pictures, don't you remember that volcano at the 3rd grade science fair? stir!

nah, you don't need to grease the pan, just pour it in and bake 350 till it's done (like half an hour)

OK. Now for the topping. WHAT! You didn't save any of the fruit juice? You poured it all into the batter? sigh. fine. Good thing you put all the peelings in the pot to boil, huh? That's gonna be some good stuff. 

Strain the peelings and cook down the resulting juice a bit for a delicious glaze. Or, stir in some powdered sugar and whip up for a thin icing. OR you could even whip in cold butter and make a more traditional frosting--(oh great, now it's not vegan anymore--if you're into that kind of thing) but by all means use the juice you boiled outta those skins and seeds, it may be the best part. 

There! Now, I'd show you the finished cake, but people were literally waiting at my window for it to come out of the oven and it was all gone before the pan was cool. That baking maracuya smells like nothing else. 

When you get tired of Maracuya you can do the same song and dance with fresh crushed pineapple and hand grated coconut. YUM. For those of you not blessed with fresh tropical fruits at your immediate disposal, try it with some store bought fruit juice--it's not half bad. This cake is sooo moist  and quick, it's great to have when you need to make a party happen in a hurry. And you definitely need to be throwing more parties--I checked.