I don’t know about you, but the upcoming release of a new Paddington movie (Paddington In Peru, out November 8) has gotten marmalade on my mind.
So who else to turn to for a perfect marmalade cake recipe than Mary Berry, who’s penned the perfect orange jam-based traybake recipe?
The former Great British Bake-Off judge shared the cake in her book Mary’s Baking Bible, which home bakers like Mel and Alex of Tale of 2 Kitchens tried and loved.
Surprisingly, though, she has some counterintuitive advice to prevent the cake from “buckling,” or sinking in the middle.
Which is?
You shouldn’t put too much marmalade in your marmalade cake, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef revealed.
Baking site Cakes By MK explains that “When it comes to baking, balancing your ingredients is key.
“If you have too much liquid or too much fat in your cake batter, this can result in a cake with a weak structure which can cause it to sink in the middle.”
The starches and binders in the cake can’t do their strengthening job if their path is interrupted by too much liquid.
This, along with a too-small cake tin, opening the oven door too soon, under- or over-mixing your cake batter, or having an oven that’s too cold can also contribute to the sinking, the baking pro adds.
How does Mary make her marmalade cake?
She begins by lining a baking tray with parchment and preheating her oven to 180°C.
Then she whisks all of the ingredients ― sugar, flour, marmalade, butter, sultanas, baking powder, cherries, eggs and milk ― into a bowl and chucks the lot in the oven for 40-45 minutes.
Pretty simple, right? And if the reviews are to be believed, it’s delicious too ― “A lovely, soft and fluffy traybake, this is more like a sponge cake in a tray than the usual slice,” A Tale Of 2 Kitchens writes.