2nd place winner—Nancy Stricker, Alliance, Nebraska

MANDARIN SPICE CAKE

1¼ hours 20 min prep - 16 servings

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 (16 ounce) can pork and beans

1 (8 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup margarine, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°; grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, sift together sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add oil and eggs and mix on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes.

Place pork and beans in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth; add pureed beans to batter and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in mandarin oranges.

Pour batter into bundt pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick inserted in the middle.

Remove pan from oven and cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes; loosen edges of cake from pan and turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting: In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine margarine, cream cheese, vanilla and milk; beat on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes; slowly add confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Frost cooled cake. Can add slices of mandarin oranges on top of cake for garnish, if desired