Today felt like a cake baking day. After spending the day with William Reavell yesterday learning how to photograph and style food, I really wanted to put my cake making and photography skills to the test. Next month this blog will be FIVE years old, so I thought it was about time I upped my game in taking pictures of food. They are no longer going to be taken using my auto settings, so watch this space…
This marmalade, ginger and blood orange loaf cake was inspired by a recipe from Diana Henry. I have a backlog of marmalade from last year and before I make a start on this year’s batch, I wanted to find a cake which would benefit from the addition of this wonderful bittersweet confection that I have in abundance.
I have adapted the recipe in a couple of ways by using spelt flour, which I love to use in my banana spelt pecan loaf, and by adding in both freshly grated and ground ginger. The warm spiciness of the ginger is the perfect partner to the marmalade in this wintery wonder of a loaf cake.
If you decide to try making this marmalade, ginger and blood orange loaf cake, I would recommend you enjoy it with freshly sliced blood oranges and thick creme fraiche flavoured with orange zest or marmalade. But, when the cake is just baked and still warm, nothing could be better than enjoying it with a steaming jug of custard.
Here are a few more more recipes including marmalade and blood oranges from around the web:
Blood orange, olive oil & cardamom syrup cake – Nutmegs Seven
Parsnip & lime marmalade cake – Food to Glow
Sugar free blood orange cake – Rough Measures
Marmalade cake with orange icing – Well Worn Whisk
Mini blood orange cakes – Tin & Thyme
Chocolate chip marmalade cakes – Fab Food 4 All
I am linking my marmalade, ginger and blood orange loaf cake to Alphabakes (The more than occasional baker & Caroline makes), Perfecting Patisserie (Baking Queen) and Tea Time Treats (The Hedgecombers & Lavender & Lovage).
Marmalade Ginger & Blood Orange Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 175 g light brown muscovado sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- pinch of salt
- 100 g Seville orange marmalade
- 1 blood orange zest & juice
- 100 g spelt flour sifted
- 75 g plain flour sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp Seville orange marmalade for the cake glaze warmed through in a saucepan until melted
Instructions
-
Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees
-
Line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment
-
Place the butter and sugar in a food processor/mixer and cream together until blended
-
Add in the eggs, one by one, then continue to beat the mixture
-
Next, add the ginger powder, fresh ginger and marmalade, orange zest and juice then beat again
-
Finally fold in the flours, salt and baking powder. Combine until the mixture is well blended
-
Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for between 50-60 minutes until a skewer/knife inserted into the cake comes out clean
-
Spoon over the marmalade glaze and spread to cover the top of the loaf cake
-
Enjoy warm with custard or cold with clotted cream ot creme fraiche flavoured with marmalade/orange zest
Recipe Notes
This cake is equally good served warm from the oven or at room temperature. It is a good way of using up any surplus home made marmalade.
Oh wow Laura this cake looks and sounds amazing, love the ginger and orange flavours marrying here:-) Thanks for including my marmalade cakes:-)
Thanks Camilla, love the warmth of ginger in cakes 🙂
Oh YUM. This sounds like it has so much flavour! Love the idea of serving it with custard 😀
Me too Becca!
The combination of marmalade, ginger and blood orange in a cake sounds amazing!! 😀 and the shots are stunning 😉
Thanks Nadia, the colours of blood oranges are great for photographing 🙂
That looks gorgeous Laura. So fluffy and I love the glaze on top.
I think you would enjoy this cake Jac, I’m going to make another one on the weekend!
The workshop must have paid off because your post is absolutely beautiful!
Hi Kerry, sp pleased you like the pictures, I am enjoying the camera at the moment!
This sounds incredible and such a beautiful looking cake. Marmalade and ginger sound so good together!
Thanks Dannii, its defintely my new favourite cake of the moment!
This is a great ingredient combination, the glaze, especially, looks divine!
Hi Mariana, the glaze is definitley the best bit of the cake. Especially if you have a really good home made marmalade 🙂
How good does this sound?! I love marmalade cake but I haven’t yet added lovely, raspberry-ish blood orange to one. Your very seasonal adaptation of Diana’s recipe looks a good way to remedy this serious flaw in my culinary repertoire. And your images look de-licious xx PS Thanks for linking to my parsnip and lime marmalade cake. 🙂
Hi Kellie, I actually really want to try your parsnip cake now and I have plenty of marmalade to use up too!
Such a delicious sounding loaf especially with all that lovely marmalade and ginger. Love the photography and can’twait to see more!
Thanks Ros, it’s a lovely loaf cake!
What a fabulous cake The shine from your glaze and those wonderful flavours. I’ll definitely have a slice please. Thanks for linking up with #PerfectingPatisserie! x
Love the ingredients in this cake, with the spelt and plain flour too. And blood oranges… yum. Such a delicious-looking cake! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks Lili!
What a beautiful bake Laura. Ginger sounds such a good addition to the marmalade and blood oranges just call me with their rather exotic (if somewhat macabre) name. It seems quite a few of us have blog birthdays this month.
I noticed that too Chocolate, lots of blog birthdays, all getting quite mature now!
I would love to go to a photography course with William Reavell. I saw him at FBC and he was amazing! Your cake and photos are great. I want a slice now!
Thanks Jo, well worth going on his course of you can