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. The next morning, it is cloudy and foggy as expected. A movement in the dry bushes catches 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 heavenly. Marmalade Cake is almost baked. 

An Orangee aroma and the flavour of spices is intoxicating. We have added a generous amount of homemade candied orange and lemon peels.

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

Marmalade Cake - Wholegrain and Eggless

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup brown sugar or unrefined sugar or powdered  sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon each of powdered green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and dried ginger
• ½ cup (100 gms) butter softened
• ½ cup mixed dry fruits (candied orange peels, apricots, cherries, etc.)
• 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 (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease one 6 ½ inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the first four ingredients in a big bowl.
3. Cut butter into small cubes and add to ingredients in the bowl. Mix with hands till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add dry fruits and zest.            
5. Mix well. Add milk, a little at a time followed by a little vinegar.
6. Stir well till the ingredients mix well. Stir in marmalade. The batter should be of dropping consistency. Add more milk if required.
7. 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.
8. Remove from the oven. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides. Invert in the rack. Cool.
9. Slice next day. This is important. The cake really tastes beautiful after a day.