Chocolate Cake Made With Orange Marmalade

Halcyon Eve's Note:

Another recipe from "To Set Before a Queen", by a former cook for Princess Elizabeth (before she was crowned queen). She says that this was her most popular cake with the royal family, and that she sent it by request to Windsor, Balmoral, and Sandringham, as well as making it for the Queen Mother for her birthday at her request. I made it for my MIL for her birthday one year--it was delicious. The marmalade adds a nice touch to the cake, and the coffee icing is perfect with the rich cake. Times are estimated and don't include time to cool.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

Yield: 1.0 cake

For the cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 ounces ground almonds
• 5 large eggs , separated
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (the best quality you can get)

For the icing

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons coffee extract (or instant espresso mixed into 4 T hot water)

Garnish

• pistachio nut (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300* F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper, grease paper, and dust with cocoa.
2. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until well mixed and fluffy. Add egg yolks and marmalade. Stir in melted chocolate.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and ground almonds. Stir to combine.
5. Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake batter.
6. Pour into prepared pan and bake in a slow oven (about 300* F, 150* C, or gas mark 2) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
7. Cool for a few minutes in pan, then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
8. While cake cools, make icing. Cream all ingredients together. Warm slightly to facilitate spreading, if needed.
9. When cake is completely cool, slice in half crosswise to make 2 layers. Fill and ice top with the icing.
10. If desired, decorate with pistachios.

Reviews

[wicked cook 46]

I used a 9 inch spring form pan and I am glad I used this since it is alot deeper then my regular cake pans . I found there was not enough frosting but then I just eyeballed the ingredient amounts LOL I used marmalade in between the layers. I LOVE the frosting. I think next time I will add a bit more marmalade to the batter. Very nice cake. Made for Everyday is a Holiday Tag