Marmalade Cake
Sweet, zesty, full of flavour! Marmalade cake is a delicious teatime treat, perfect for using up that jar of marmalade you’ve not been sure what to do with.
I’ve never been one of these people who craves marmalade. In fact, it’s very seldom I would choose to eat marmalade at all. Not because I don’t enjoy it, or because there’s anything wrong with it. I would just usually opt for a jam if I fancied something along those lines.
My Papa (Grandad), though, loved marmalade! His preference would be to make a batch of it using the tinned prepared oranges, making it kind of homemade. This meant he could also blend it once cooked, because he wasn’t a fan of thick bits of rind – something that seems to divide opinions in the world of marmalade.
Whatever your preference, marmalade is generally best known as a breakfast accompaniment for toast, or on a sandwich served to Paddington Bear. In fact, it was the latter that led to record sales of marmalade here in the UK in 2022 following the death of the Queen, due to her association with everyone’s favourite bear from Peru.
My personal favourite way to enjoy some marmalade, though, is in this deliciously moist and perfectly sticky Marmalade Cake!
Ingredients for Marmalade Cake:
Butter or Margarine
It’s personal preference which you use. I find margarine to be better & more predictable for cakes, but some people prefer the taste of butter – although in this cake you’ll be hard-pressed to taste any difference over the notes of orange from the zest and marmalade. If using butter, just be sure to remove it from the fridge and allow it to soften before using.
Caster Sugar
The go-to sugar in a most cakes. Finer than granulated sugar, so it mixes in like a dream. You could try using a golden caster sugar if you want to dial down the sweetness a little or prefer a slightly more caramel flavour.
Eggs
The size of the eggs doesn’t matter too much (I always use medium) but just be sure you’re using free-range eggs. And as with all ingredients when baking cakes, ensure they are at room temperature before starting.
Orange Zest
Although we get some orange flavour from the marmalade, the addition of orange zest takes this cake to the next level. Bonus points if you can co-ordinate your orange zest with the kind of oranges in your marmalade (eg. Seville, Blood orange…).
Vanilla Extract
We only need a little vanilla – it’s purpose is more about balancing the flavours in this marmalade loaf, as opposed to shining through front and centre. Just be sure to use a vanilla extract as a minimum, or vanilla paste or a fresh vanilla pod if you’re feeling a bit fancy.
Marmalade
Of course, marmalade is needed in a marmalade cake. You’ll need a few spoonfuls for within the cake, as well as a little extra for spreading on top to finish. It’s personal preference whether you use a thick-cut marmalade or a shredless marmalade – I have used both with great success.
Milk
A little bit of milk is used in the cake batter to add some extra moisture. As this is a slow bake cake, it’s at risk of drying out. The milk will thin out your batter a little but means it can bake without becoming too dry or unpleasant.
Self-raising Flour
Flour is a must in any cake batter and self-raising is used here to allow it to rise. No additional raising agents are required, but be sure to sift the flour.
Top Tips for Marmalade Cake:
• This is the perfect recipe to use up the last few spoonfuls in a jar of marmalade.
• Use a fork to break up your marmalade before adding it to your cake batter – this will mean it can distribute a little more evenly, creating wee bursts of marmalade throughout your cake.
• Mix things up and go a bit wild with some lemon, lime or grapefruit marmalade! Just be sure to use the co-oridinating zest too.
Marmalade Cake
EQUIPMENT
INGREDIENTS
- 115 g Butter or Margarine (softened)
- 115 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 2 Free-range Eggs (at room temperature)
- Zest of 1 Orange
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 tbsp Orange Marmalade
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 190 g Self-raising Flour
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°c (160°c for fan assisted oven, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf tin liner, or some greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the margarine/butter and sugar, until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at time, ensuring each is mixed through before adding the next. Add the orange zest, vanilla, marmalade & milk, mixing to combine.
- Sift in the flour, before gently folding to create a batter.
- Transfer the batter to your pre-lined loaf tin and bake in your pre-heated oven for 45-55 minutes until risen, golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Whilst since warm, spoon a little excess marmalade on top and spread over with a spoon to create a lightly glazed top. Allow to cool completely in the tin, before removing and serving in slices.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
It might be a little over-simplified to say marmalade is just an orange jam…but for the sake of ease, that’s a really good way to term it. Marmalade is usually made with oranges – traditionally Seville oranges, although you can get varying kinds now, made with all kinds of citrus fruits.
The oranges are boiled with sugar (usually including the skins) until it reaches a jam-like consistency, then you allow it to set. Most brands of marmalade will now come with the option of having it “shredless”, which means it is smooth, without the bits of skin being left in.
It of course has an orange flavour and is sweet like jam – due to the sugar used to make it – but marmalade also has a distinctive zest and bitterness to it too.
Marmalade Cake is the perfect loaf cake for anyone who loves marmalade or needs a bit of convincing on how delicious it can be. It’s a moist sponge cake, with a lovely orange flavour, and little bursts of marmalade hidden throughout. And just to add to the delectable marmalade taste, it’s finished with a little bit extra glazed on top.
Marmalade Cake is super easy to make and can be done using just one bowl. Like any good cake, you start by creaming your sugar and butter/margarine, before adding the eggs, orange zest, a little vanilla & milk, and the marmalade. Next, you sift in the flour and mix to create a batter. I like to bake it in a loaf tin but you could opt for a round tin, if you prefer – either way this is a low [temperature] and slow [time] bake. Once baked and golden, you remove from the oven and finish with an extra spoonful of marmalade brushed on the top.
I like a slice of marmalade straight up, freshly cut from the loaf and enjoyed with a cuppa. You could also serve it with a scoop of ice cream, to make it a little more indulgent. Or for the ultimate marmalade experience, you could even spread a little more marmalade on your individual slice!
Lovely cake. Even better with an orange drizzle
A great cake, easy to make. Very we received by friends. Lots of requests to make it for them.
Thank you for the recipe x
Adapted this recipe with lime marmalade and coconut, was so delicious! I just added an extra egg (as mine are quite small), and doubled the milk to counter the dry of the coconut. I also added a tablespoon of baking powder. Made it in a loaf tin, and have enjoyed toasting it for breakfast!
Do you have a recipe book ?
Where could I buy it ?
Lovely easy recipe, although I used margarine it tasted really buttery.
I didn’t put a glaze on the top, but it was still a really good cake.