Chocolate Cake Made With Orange Marmalade

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.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8-12
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 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

• 1⁄2 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.