Marmalade Cake - Wholegrain and Egg less

It is a cloudy evening. Cloudscapes meld into a thick gray cover looming over the sky. A soothing warmth pervades. At night, we smell the scent of wet Earth. It is raining. Another cold day in store we assume, clutching our quilts tighter. Next morning, it is cloudy and foggy as expected. A movement in the dry bushes catch our attention. 

It is a Taiga Flycatcher hopping in the branches and returning to her perch after catching insects from the ground. 

She is all fluffed up, letting out a sonorous light pitched note periodically.

Our kitchen smells heaven. Marmalade Cake is almost baked. An Orangee aroma and flavour of spices is intoxicating. 

The cake is sliced next day. Everyone relishes it and gets over same evening.

Marmalade Cake – Whole grain and Egg less

A Delia Collection recipe adapted from www.tastegoblet.com

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

¾ cup brown sugar or powdered white sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon each of powdered green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and dried ginger

½ cup (100 gms) butter softened

 ¼ cup mixed dry fruits (candied orange peels, apricots, cherries etc.)

¼ cup tutty fruity

Finely grated zest of an orange

Finely grated zest of a lemon

1 tablespoon white vinegar

160 ml milk, plus more if needed

1 heaped tablespoon marmalade

½ tablespoon fine sugar to sprinkle on top

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease one 6 ½ inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together first four ingredients in a big bowl.

Cut butter into small cubes and add to ingredients in the bowl. Mix with hands till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add dry fruits, tutty fruity and zest.            

Mix well. Add milk, a little at a time followed by a little vinegar.

Stir well till the ingredients mix well. Stir in marmalade. The batter should be of dropping consistency. Add more milk if required.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top. Bake for 55-60 minutes till the cake shrinks from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides. Invert in the rack. Cool.

Slice next day. This is important. The cake really tastes beautiful after a day.