This week, Katherine and I took a long overdue holiday. We have spent the last five days amongst some of the most incredible scenery North Wales has to offer. If you like walking over snowy mountains, this place is for you. Not only is the landscape incredibly dramatic, but it is peppered with historic monuments, burial grounds, wells and even a bunker which I presume dates back to the Second World War. The sparsely populated county of Gwynedd, North Wales, is truly inspiring – we shall be returning, car under foot, to visit the fabled ‘Roman Steps’.
During our trip to one of the most beautiful areas Wales has to offer, we celebrated Katherine’s birthday. As one might expect, Katherine had requested that I make her a cake to mark this special occasion, and I dutifully consented to her demands. After all, any man worth his salt fulfils the desires of his woman, otherwise a jolly painful earache may ensue. This is the reason why my version of the good old marmalade cake came into being. It is essentially a basic sponge mix with added marmalade, both inside and out. However, because it is baked in a slightly different manner the consistency of the cake comes out a little heavier, which is perfect for a treat such as this.
Good quality marmalade is a must for this cake. Let’s face it, marmalade isn’t an expensive commodity but it can taste pretty awful if bought on the cheap. Remember, this blog isn’t about making good food taste a little dodgy by skimping on the main ingredient. It’s about reducing the cost of a meal without removing any of the flavour that defines it. Seville oranges make a good, sharp marmalade and therefore contrast wonderfully with the sugar in the cake. Even so, a little drizzle of icing to finish is advisable.
Seville Marmalade Cake
Makes 1 large cake
Ingredients:
• 3 eggs, weighed
• Butter, golden caster sugar and self-raising flour in equal measure – in order to get exact amounts weigh the eggs and use the same weight of these ingredients; this should be roughly 7 ounces or 200g.
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 3-4 tbsp milk, depending on consistency
• 3 generous tbsp Seville marmalade, plus extra to glaze
• A little icing sugar mixed with water to drizzle over the top
Method:
1. Grease and line a 20cm springform pan, heat the oven to 180C. Cream together the sugar and the butter, with a hand whisk, until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs one by one. This requires thorough mixing between each egg. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently until just mixed. Fold in the marmalade and stir in a little milk if necessary. The batter should flow, but not too freely. Bake for around 50 minutes, or until the cake makes no sound when listened to.
3. Allow to rest before turning onto a wire rack. Glaze with warmed marmalade before the cake is completely cool. When cool, drizzle it with the icing. To make the icing simply dissolve 30g of icing sugar in a little water.
Cost: Though this cake includes an ingredient which is more expensive than those which generally find themselves in a sponge cake, its price is reduced by its simplicity. As such, this price of this cake comes in at around £2.30. This is an absolute bargain since the cake is extremely filling and would probably produce 12-16 slices.
120 replies on “Seville Marmalade Cake”
I like plain cakes like this, more about flavor, less about icing.
Exactly! That’s what my girlfriend asked for and I provided 😀
wow…that marmalade glaze looks divine!!
Thanks! It was my favourite part of the recipe 😀
looks and sounds delicious, I may well have to try this recipe out!
Thanks! You should, you won’t be disappointed.
Just the kind of cake I like – sounds wonderful 🙂 And great photos.
Oh me too not too much icing and sweetness.
Very seasonal! I’ve got a bag of seville oranges, and i’ll be having a go at making marmalade for the first time, they’re only usually available for a couple of months and provide a zingy start to the year.
Cheers
Marcus
I do try to keep things seasonal. I hope the marmalade turns out well!
Sounds like a lovely time, a fascinating place, a happy birthday and a scrumptious little cake! Nicely done, and welcome back!
Oh it was and it is! It’s both good and bad to be back, but I’ll survive.
A beautiful cake (and beautiful photos of Wales – my grandfather was from North Wales but haven´t been there in years). I have used up all my marmalade made last year but will be making more soon, so this cake will definitely be made in the next few weeks. Thank you!
You ought to return! Mold didn’t you say? Please let me know when you make it 🙂
great story and pics, enjoyed reading the post!
Thanks! I’m glad you read it 😀
It looks absolutely delicious, and if your forgive me, anything but frugal! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! I disagree, however, it is most economical – which makes it jolly frugal :D. Perhaps it isn’t frugal in taste however.
I can’t wait to make this, I made my own homemade marmalade for the first time a few weeks ago.
Awesome – it’ll taste extra special!
Wow! I can’t wait to try this cake. Thanks so much for sharing with us, and not to mention the wonderful pics of Wales. Haven’t been there since I was a little girl still living in England.
Oooooh, I hope you do! No problem! You ought to return 🙂
This looks delicious. I’d love to have a piece of this cake now with a cup of coffee. I enjoyed your photos too!
Thanks! Tea or coffee, you can’t miss with this delight 😀
Oh Lord!!
The exact words I uttered when I embarked on my first slice.
It looks delicious. Going to give it a try……just have to find some good marmalade.
Thanks! I wish you luck in your quest. I hope it turns out very well.
What beautiful scenery! I love the simplicity of the cake 🙂
Thanks. The simple pleasures are always the best.
Beautiful cake, Nick. I love the way the marmalade glaze makes it shine and the contrast of the white icing.
thanks, Kale. Yes, me too – it is such a wonderful way to decorate a cake.
This looks delightful. I love a good marmalade.
Thanks, me too!
North wales looks beautiful–I would love to visit someday!
Oh it is, you should definitely visit – it’s really very cheap too.
Your girlfriend is fortunate to have you around, making cakes for her and all the other cooking you do, keep it up 😉 I love the scenery! It is my dream to visit all of Europe one day, unfortunately I don’t see that happening any time in the near future. The cake looks delicious!!
She is, isn’t she? :D. All of Europe? That’s a lot of travelling!
That is so beautiful! I want to stick a fork in it RIGHT NOW and eat it all up! 😀
Thanks, Kat! I suppose you had better make one then!
Beautiful photos of Wales. Cake looks fabulous. I am printing it to try some time! By the way, I wouldn’t dream of asking my husband to bake a cake. I’d be afraid of what he’d produce. Most he’s baked are brownies out of a box. He does, on occasion, make me a nice, basic breakfast. Can do a pretty good meatloaf too. He thinks he makes meatballs too, but they’re really meatloaf rolled up as meatballs!
Thanks! they did turn out rather well. At least he tries 😀 I must be special 😛
That sounds incredible to me. I am going to have to go on a search for a decent marmalade now. Not sure if a US store will have anything good so might have to drive a couple ours to a British import store in the city.
Thanks! It was rather delicious. I’m sure you’ll be able to find one somewhere! A local health food shop perhaps?
This looks incredible! I just recently discovered the joys of a really good orange marmalade, I especially love it on peanut butter bread. We had a jar of not good marmalade in our fridge for about 2 years that no one would touch, now I buy more of the good stuff almost every week. I would love to try a cake with it, simply genius!
Oh yes, one must splash out a little on marmalade. I’ve never even had peanut butter bread :D. give it a go, it was delightful.
Gorgeous pictures! I just ventured into making my own marmalade this week which turned out awesome! I agree – I’ve had some marmalade that tasted terrible! Cake looks delicious!
thanks! Oh, that’s cool – you must put some in one of these 🙂
This cake looks lovely, and I will put it on my list of recipes to try. I can just imagine how good a slice of it would be with a cup of tea, while curled up in the cozy armchair by the window. On another note, this is the second time I’ve noticed that your tips for knowing when a cake is done baking include “until the cake makes no sound when listened to.” I had never heard of this before (no pun intended), let alone tried this. So, the next time I make a cake I’m definitely going to keep an ear out!
Thanks, let me know when you do give it a go. that’s exactly the situation in which it should be eaten :D. It’s a good tip, trust me 😀
Would white sugar be an acceptable substitute or would brown be better? Should the butter be melted? Yes, I’m thinking of making this one! I love marmalade and still have some soupy homemade jars. They’ve worked well in other baked goods. Thanks.
I’m sure white would be fine, though brown would definitely be better. Do not melt the butter – it needs to be room temperature. I hope you do make it! Good luck.
That is BEAUTIFUL! What an amazing birthday cake – from the heart and, I bet, so so delicious.
Thanks! It was very yummy and truly from the heart 😀
What a gorgeous seasonal recipe. I’m not a fan of marmalade on toast, but baked into a cake it’s absolutely delicious. Perfect wintry birthday treat.
You know what? Me neither, but it was truly scrummy in the cake.
Wow, that cake looks incredible. Definitely fit for a special occasion!
Thanks! It really was.
This looks so delicious I’d love a slice right now! The North Wales countryside is stunning! One day I’d love to tour your beautiful country. Until then, I’ll enjoy it through your pictures 🙂
Thanks – then you ought to make it :D. It really is wonderful – I can’t wait to go back.
What beautiful photographs! The cake looks and sounds absolutely delicious!
Thanks! I do try. I’m glad you like the look of the cake.
What a gorgeous cake! I love orange marmalade, great combo.
Thanks! You should give it a go 🙂
OMG. I love marmalade.
haha, me too – but not on toast.
I’m really getting into marmalade lately– I love it in icings or fillings for cakes, so I’m excited about this recipe. And the pictures of your outing go so well with the recipe–if I had gone gallivanting about like that (amidst that beautiful scenery! My goodness!) I would totally want a slice of that when I got home. Lovely post.
I’m not such a fan of it on toast, but everywhere else it is good. It was very useful following our 11-12 mile hike around the mountain ‘Moelfre’ (It’s technically not a mountain, but a rather massive hill – it goes straight up to 2000 feet from sea level)
Great photos, would love to go to Wales. 🙂 And the cake looks really delicious!
Thanks, you should – the scenery is absolutely stunning.
It is such a beautiful cake. What a lucky girl!
She enjoyed it rather a lot 😀
This cake looks divine. I’m going to try and veganize it (no small feat when the original recipe calls for 3 eggs). If I’m successful, may I post it on my blog (with thanks and a link to the original of course)? 🙂
Thanks! I hope it withstands veganisation! I’m sure it will. I’m looking forward to seeing the post.
Looks gorgeous and I may have some marmalade lurking in the pantry to be baked into this lovely cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks! You should definitely give it a pop.
Baked this today- light, fluffy and loved the subtle hint of orange. Brill! Thank you for sharing yet another gem. 🙂
Awesome :D. I’m glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for making it.
Yum yum yum – Think I have to give this one a try this week!
Oh yes, do, it was delicious 😀
I have no words for this, other than yum. Looks delicious!
That’s an acceptable word
😀
That cake looks so good, I’d eat it even if it fell on the ground. And that’s a fact. Thanks for sharing, this is going straight to my list of “To Bake” items.
Thanks, Jacqueline. Well. I’d try eating it off a plate first.
Oh the pictures are so beautiful! One day I’d love to take this vacation… Thanks for sharing the recipe.. The cake seems delish!
You should, it’s a really pretty part of the world.
your pictures are BEAUTIFUL!! That cake looks so incredibly good. i love orange marmalade… and apricot marmalade too! 🙂
Thanks! I’m glad you think so. I shall have to try an apricot version 🙂
Glad you guys got to take a break; it looks like you were in a gorgeous area! and the cake looks wonderful as well; I haven’t used marmalade for much, but this looks like a good excuse to get some!
So am I, we really needed it. Yes, I don’t usually get it either, but this was worth it.
This cake looks delicious… so glad to hear you made it for a birthday! Your pictures of your vacation look incredible… I’ve always wanted to visit England!
Alas, it is Wales, which is a separate country from England… actually, that’s a good thing 😀
Belated birthday greetings to Katherine! Sounds like you two had a wonderful time, with the photos to prove it!
Quick question… I’m intrigued by your cooking term, “… or until the cake makes no sound when listened to.” (You’ve used it before; I just didn’t think to ask until now.) Do you thump on it? Stand in front of the oven with one ear to the door? Please clarify how this is achieved! Thanking you in advance.
Thanks! She’s probably read this already :D. You take it out of the oven and put your ear to it when you think it will probably be done. If it isn’t bubbling, it’s cooked.
I love it when food employs all of the senses! Hadn’t tried “listening” before, but I will. Generally, my nose tips me off first (I seldom use a timer), but the idea of listening to a cake intrigues me. Thank you!!
give it a go, it works every time 🙂
One question – Won’t it be too sweet with the marmalade and icing??
Oh no, it isn’t since it isn’t slopped full of icing.
🙂
Mmh simply delicious!
Thanks!
I think i have died and gone to gooey delicious heaven! that looks so amazing!! 🙂 glad to have found this blog- we all need a little bit more frugality in our lives
Haha. I thought that too. Nothing wrong with being frugal 😀
Yeh I am not the only person who bakes on holiday – feel more normal now! Thanks – it looks great what a lucky girl Katherine is. I think I would faint if my husband made me a cake.
Haha, unfortunately I baked this before I left… :D. She is lucky :P.
amazing cost, must try it!
Please do, it was utterly delicious.
Beautiful photos, wonderfully entertaining story and what looks to be a splendid cake. Can’t wait to try your recipe. 🙂
Thanks! Please do give it a go 😀
Looks really yummy – I shall have to have a go…and I love the cost!
Thanks! Well, that’s the idea 🙂
Cake looks great. Wales looks great. And boy, do you get a lot of comments. Well done!
Thanks, Francesca! Remember, though, I do have to reply to them 😀
Reblogged this on Dried Basil and Other Heresies and commented:
Added to my list of things to try out with the batch of marmalade that didn’t quite set.
Again an absolutely amazing post frugal it is an absolutely amazing cake the idea of having a plain sponge with an amazing golden crust and then a fantastic sweet glazy marmalade ontop. Truly inspirational recipe, keep up the good work! Fantastic!
Thanks, Ashley. It was perfect for our little holiday 🙂
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This cake is the very definition of moist – delicious recipe!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks – it was indeed :D.
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