Gooey Marmalade Cake

Whilst surfing the internet last Friday, I came across a recipe for Marmalade Cake which took me straight back to my childhood when my Mother used to make the most gooey version that would disappear from the cake tin in no time.  So, having recently made Seville orange marmalade at home, I decided to bake a marmalade cake on Sunday.  As they always did when Mum made them, my cake sank in the middle…..  Oh no, I hear you cry – but, please, don’t be worried about my caking-making skills.  This is a cake that is so much the better for a bit of sinking. The middle is succulently sticky and moist yet its rich texture is offset beautifully by the sharp, citrus tang.

The husband has been taking a piece of the cake to work every day this week and has decided I should make a different cake every Sunday (I rarely make cakes at all except for Christmas / Easter, rum or brandy soaked, dark fruit cakes).  Good of him to decide, I thought, but, actually, it’s not a bad idea.  I think once a fortnight might be more realistic though.

If you’re game for a pudding wine with this cake, try Brown Brother’s Orange Muscat (widely available in supermarkets) or a southern French sweetie such as Jurançon Mœlleux  or Monbazillac but, I have to say, I find the cake is quite enough on its own.  If I drank English tea, which I don't, I would probably go for that.

Marmalade Cake
(inspired by Jam & Clotted cream’s recipe - http://tinyurl.com/yb9a396)

175g butter
175g caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tbsp marmalade (Seville orange, preferably)
2-3 tbsps orange juice – add as required to make a gooey, not too stiff, mixture.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (350f or Gas Mark 4) and grease an 8inch/20cm cake tin. 

Mix the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the flour and eggs and beat until smooth.  Then put in the marmalade and orange juice.  Finally, fold in the baking powder with a metal spoon.  You can put the whole lot in an electric mixer if you prefer, but I hate washing those things up!

Pour the mixture into the pre-prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.  Once cooked, the cake should be springy on the top.  Leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes or so, then turn out onto a metal rack.

For the orange butter icing
(this is a light icing – I don’t like it with too much butter and the cake doesn’t need it)

250g icing sugar
3-5 tbsps of orange juice, as required
zest of an orange
50g butter, softened 

Sieve the icing sugar, add the butter and orange juice and mix to give a smooth icing.  It shouldn’t be runny but thick enough to coat the sides of the cake without slipping off.  Wait until the cake is completely cool before icing.