In the Home of Marmalade

I was recently gifted a bottle of marmalade....that quintessential British breakfast favourite that is found in almost every household across Britain. It is said that the earliest recipe for marmalade comes from a book written in 1677 where it was called 'marmalet of oranges'. Traditional marmalade recipes call for the juice and peel of the Spanish Seville oranges which is prized for its slightly bitter peel. The addition of the peel is what differentiates marmalade from jams.  The British have been long time lovers of this slightly bitter, sweet, chunky-textured amber spread. It is said that Winston Churchill would quaff down large quantities of marmalade to bolster him during the wars, DH Lawrence wrote novels about it and the lovable Paddington Bear eats only sandwiches with marmalade.

At home no one really enjoys the bitterness that marmalade is famous for...so I was left wondering what to do with this bottle. Came across this cake recipe that called for marmalade cake and fresh orange juice. Perfect to use up those luscious oranges flooding the market thanks to the warm British summer. So here's a really simple and easy cake to try out.



Method:

1.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

1/3 cup marmalade/pineapple jam

100 ml orange juice

- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Line and grease a 8” cake tin.

- Cream butter, oil and sugar till pale and fluffy.

- Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

- Add the marmalade and mix well. 

- Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda and add to the batter.

- Add the orange juice and mix well.

- Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.