Marmalade Cream Cake With A Light Chocolate Sponge
Two soft and smooth moist light chocolate sponges sandwiched with a mix of marmalade and cream. This delicious marmalade cream cake is ideal for either afternoon tea or dessert.
I’ve sadly neglected our public library in recent years and of course now they are threatened, I’m keen to save them. The “save our libraries” day a few Saturdays ago, kick started me into action and I staggered down the street with a pile of really good books.
The Chocolate Cookbook by Christine France was one of them. It’s stuffed with lots of really interesting recipes, including peppermint cracknel. Gosh I haven’t had peppermint cracknel for years and years.
I’ve heard a lot about marmalade cakes, but for some reason or another the concept has not appealed and I have never, until now, used marmalade in my baking. However, when I saw a recipe for One-Mix Chocolate Sponge in my recently borrowed cookbook, something about the marmalade cream caught my fancy.
Marmalade Cream Cake
I knew I wouldn’t be able to do a one-mix method, because unless we have a really hot spell my butter is never soft enough. So as is my wont, I went my own way with Christine’s recipe.
I used a mix of buckwheat flour and wholemeal spelt. Buckwheat gives a lovely soft texture to cakes, though it doesn’t work terribly well on it’s own. My mother is a stellar seville marmalade maker, so I always have a jar or two of her marmalade in the cupboard.
A medium to thick cut marmalade works best in this cake. This is because it’s nice to have some chunky bits to chop into the actual cake. I use the thickest strands for this, leaving the finer pieces for the marmalade cream filling. But this is all personal preference and if you prefer a fine cut marmalade, use that.
I make this marmalade cream cake in ounces as it just seems to pan out better that way. But I’ve given the recipe in grams as well as ounces for those of you that prefer metric.
What Does Marmalade Cream Cake Taste Like?
The cake was a little flat as the moulds were too large for the amount of mixture I had, but I’m pleased to report that this cake is very nice. It has a lovely moist, smooth soft spongy texture and the marmalade cream is a revelation.
The bitterness of the marmalade is a good contrast to the sweetness of the cake, which isn’t actually as sweet as I thought it would have been with all that golden syrup in it.
As the cocoa content is minimal, the chocolate flavour takes a back seat to the marmalade. I think the cake can roll both ways. It’s nice to have the marmalade centre stage, but a more pronounced chocolate flavour would work well too. If you prefer something a bit more chocolatey, double the quantities of cocoa powder in the recipe.
My particularly light chocolate version may partially be due to the fact that I had run out of my usual Green & Blacks cocoa. I had to do an emergency dash to our local shop which only supplies Bournville cocoa. This is much paler in colour and lacks the full bodied flavour of Green & Black’s.
This cake completely won me over to the use of marmalade in baking. And I’ve subsequently used it a few times, including this full on chocolate marmalade cake.
Other Plain Sandwich Cake Recipes You Might Like
- Gluten-free sponge cake filled with jam and cream
- Mango cake with chocolate sauce and cream
- Mini orange sponge cakes with blood orange curd
- Raspberry cream sponge cake with lemon verbena
- Wholemeal Victoria sandwich
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this marmalade cream cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more marmalade cake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have a few of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Marmalade Cream Cake. PIN IT.
Marmalade Cream Cake – The Recipe
Marmalade Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 170 g unsalted butter (6 oz) softened
- 120 g golden caster sugar (4 oz)
- 2 tbsp golden syrup (2oz)
- 3 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- 120 g wholemeal spelt flour (4 oz)
- 60 g buckwheat flour (2 oz) or swap for plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea or rock salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Marmalade Cream
- 150 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 3 tbsp marmalade
- 1 tsp icing sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.170 g unsalted butter, 120 g golden caster sugar
- Add the golden syrup and cream some more.2 tbsp golden syrup
- Beat in the eggs, one by one.3 large eggs
- Chop a few of the thicker strands of marmalade from the three tablespoons below and add them to the mix.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder and stir into the mix, followed by the yoghurt.120 g wholemeal spelt flour, 60 g buckwheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp fine sea or rock salt, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- Divide the mixture between two 20cm round silicone cake moulds or lined tins and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Leave to cool for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Marmalade Cream
- Whisk the cream until soft peaks form.150 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- Stir in the remaining marmalade.3 tbsp marmalade
- Use this to sandwich the two cooled cakes together.
- Sift the icing sugar over the top.1 tsp icing sugar
I like marmalade & think the bitterness would be a good contrast to the sweetness of the cake. Thanks for the recipe.
Hazel – I made another marmalade cake the following week (yet to post this one) and that was really good too. Today I made a very bitter cake, so right up your street 😉
Kath – of course, though I suspect not a particularly good photo. Will be posting it sometime soon.
Jennifuria – thank you.
Baking Addict – I think this is the first time I’ve used something else ;(
pigpig – this obviously hit the spot 😉
Marmalade?! YUM!
Looks delicious! I’ve baked with marmalade a few times and they always turn out well. I love Green & Black cocoa powder too I don’t buy anything else.
This looks so wonderful
Brill, I hope your mum liked it and you took a photo, although I know you will have done. x
You know how I love my bitter desserts! I have never tried a marmalade cake before but this sounds very intriguing. Especially with it being a moist cake (they are always best!)
Shame about the chocolate, I think the chocolate you use when baking really does make a difference!
Liz – now there’s something to try.
Cakelaw – I’ll have to look out for that one.
Hannah – Isn’t marmalade one of those things that keeps for years?
Jill – thank you, very kind.
Lizzy – thank you for your kind comment and for following. The cream seems to be one of those things that everyone likes the idea of but no-one had really thought about.
I hadn’t heard of adding marmalade to whipped cream as an icing, but it sounds marvelous. Such a beautiful slice you’ve produced 🙂
Paddington’s chocolate cake? 😉
This sounds gorgeous. We love chocolate-orange but this certainly seems so different.
Also just to say how much I love your blog. A few awards been passed your way….
Marmalade cream! It’s not often I read about a food I haven’t heard of before.
I have loads of marmalade from January to use up – I may well give this a go.
Thanks for sharing!
Choc orange is a fabulous flavour combination, and this looks really good. I am glad that you have discovered the joys of marmalade in your baking. I have had on my “to do” list for ages a Jane Asher marmalade cake.
Marmalade and creme fraiche on an oatcake – bliss, so mixed in a chocolate cake – double bliss!
FoodyCat – this doesn’t bear much resemblance to chocolate and orange, it’s something all together different.
Pudding Pie – lime is pretty good too.
CC – glad it’s not just me.
Kath, I’ve already done it, made one for my mother yesterday – cheekily, using her marmalade 😉
Solange – a good way to use up marmalade I should say. I’ve also made a cake with marmalade in the batter and in the icing – it’s on my list of posts to go out.
Sushma – thank you.
What a beautiful slice of cake…looks delicious!
That is an interesting recipe, I change my homemade marmelade in January and it is not a winner with the household so this is going to be perfect for this coming Sunday with guests. Thank you
ooh what a lovely idea, adding marmalade to the cream. I can’t wait for you to go the whole hog and make a full on marmalade cake.
Like you, I never use the all in one method either.
Your cake looks lovely and I can guess that the marmalade worked really well with both the choc and cream
I have to agree, Green & Blacks if far superior 😛 But this looks very good anyway 🙂
I really like chocolate and citrus combinations, and this is a good variation on that!
I love marmalade cakes, but I am not a big fan of chocolate and orange. I’m tempted by this though.
Suelle – thanks. I made another marmalade cake today – Nigella’s this time.
Raffiella – it has an unusual but very nice taste.
Jac – thanks, it worked so much better than I was expecting.
Aforkful – yes indeed, I’m sure orange chocolate or even lime would work really well.
Anna – I shall be using that filling again, it worked so well.
Johanna – I wouldn’t dream of making comments about your contrariness 😉 Now I like marmalade on toast, but didn’t think I’d like it in cakes – hideous memories of some school marmalade sponge thing. But I made Nigella’s marmalade cake today and that was really good too.
Dom – I made a Nigella cake today which uses marmalade in the actual cake and I really enjoyed that too.
C – Thanks for your nice comments. Having things look good is always so hit and miss with me, so I always appreciate such comments as yours. I was quite shocked at the difference between the two cocoas.
Cottage Garden – I made another marmalade cake today using it in the cake as well as in the icing.
Gloria – thank you
Indie Tea – thank you. Flavours worked much better than I was expecting.
Chele – It’s taken me along time to come to terms with the idea of baking with marmalade, but now I’ve done it (Nigella’s today) I’ve become a bit of a fan.
Celia – marmalade and chocolate is quite different to orange and chocolate but I think works really well. Made a different marmalade and chocolate cake today.
Grazing Kate – Nigella’s marmalade cake would be a good one to use up that old batch. I made it today and have become a fan.
wonderful post – just been given lots of duck eggs and we have a surplus of ‘bad marmalade’ – about 6 jars of last years batch that’s not up to scratch – bit dark, sticky and over-set – have made some marmalade bread and butter pudding with it, but need a change and I’ve got a lot to get through – tomorrow’s pud sorted!
I think Suelle’s right, you can’t go wrong with chocolate and orange, although I’ve never extended that thinking to marmalade and chocolate before – thanks for the inspiration!
How pretty! And with those flavors, it must be delicious.
This look fabolous Choclette!! Love it! gloria
I’m always on the lookout for ways of using up my marmalade stash, I make loads each year, so will definately be giving this a go.Thanks.
I’ve never been a big fan of marmalade but this looks lovely, reckon even I would eat one (or 2!!) slices lol
Love the choc-marmalade combo and this looks fab. I think it’s something about the contrast between the dark rich looking cake and the pale cream and icing topping.
It’s hard to believe there’s so much difference between bournville cocoa and green and black’s cocoa isn’t it! There such a different colour it’s almost like you’re using a different product!
ahhh, marmalade cake… very good… you should try putting more of the marmalade into the batter mix too, bet it would taste incredible, for that choc/orange combo!… love the cream idea though, must try this as an icing!
I’m a big fan of nigella’s marmalade chocolate cake or any marmalade in baking – strangely enough I love it in baking but not by itself on toast – and I don’t really like cream but the idea of cream with marmalade appeals (is that contrary of me?)
That does look really delicious.
I’m glad you tried it and liked it – love the idea of the creamy marmalade filling.
There’s something about that which really appeals to me… Definitely one to try! Might even hunt down some chocolate with citrussy notes to it and see what that does to the overall flavour.
I would like to taste it!
Itr looks lovely and mixing marmalade into the cream sounds like a great idea. Really tasty 🙂
That’s a nice looking cake – you can’t go wrong with chocolate and orange! I soften butter in the microwave if I want to follow a one-mix cake recipe.