At Christmas time every year, my husband’s Auntie Joan kindly gives us her homemade Marmalade. We don’t eat it much, but her Marmalade is perfect for this cake. This cake is only for grown-ups because it is alcoholic as I added Whisky to the batter and brushed with extra Whisky on top. I believe Whisky works best with Orange Marmalade, but Brandy OR Rum would be good, too.

Cake Tin

Standard Loaf Tin

Ingredients

125g Butter *cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup Caster Sugar
3 Eggs *about 125g, must be at room temperature
1/2 cup Orange Marmalade *at room temperature
1 tablespoon Whisky *plus extra 2-3 tablespoons to brush
1 & 1/4 cups Self-Raising Flour

Method
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.
  2. Beat softened Butter in a mixing bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer until smooth. Add Sugar and beat until creamy.
  3. Add Eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the Eggs are not warm enough, the mixture will curdle. If that happens, try to stand the bowl in warm water, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds, then continue beating until the batter becomes smooth and creamy.
  4. Add Orange Marmalade and 1 tablespoon Whisky, and mix to combine. Gently fold in Self-Raising Flour with a spatula or large metal spoon until just combined. DO NOT over-mix.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the surface. *Note: Spread the middle part thinner and the edges thicker, so that you will have a nice centre crack.
  6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Brush extra Whisky over the hot cake, stand the cake in the pan for 5 minutes as this cake is fragile, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.
  7. *Note: Rest the cake until completely cooled, OR even longer, so that Whisky soaks in and the cake tastes nicer.