Marmalade Carrot Cake with tangy swirls of burst cranberries is the perfect "just-in-case" cake to have on standby during the festive season. A cut-up and keep kind of cake for family and friends.
- 100 ml rapeseed oil or olive oil or 80ml coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 100 g dark brown sugar
- 6 tbsp orange marmalade divided use
- 200 g carrots grated and squeezed
- 1 banana medium, mashed
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 1 orange zest and juice
- 125 g light spelt flour
- 100 g buckwheat flour or wholemeal flour
- 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 150 g cranberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp orange juice or water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
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Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Oil and line a 7x11 in/18x28cm pan with baking parchment.
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Beat the oil, eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the marmalade, carrots, banana, ginger, orange juice and zest until well mixed.
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Sift over the flours and the one and three-quarters teaspoon of baking powder. Fold gently, just until the flour disappears.
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For the cranberries, place them in a small pan with the water or juice, and the sugar. Cook on a low-medium heat until the berries burst and are a lovely ruby goo.
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Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop on the cranberries, using the tip of a knife to swirl them a bit. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
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When the cake is baked, pull it from the oven and brush or spoon over more marmalade - about 2 tablespoons. Let the cake cool in its tin for 15 minutes, then lift out by the paper onto a rack to cool further. Cut into 12-15 pieces.
This cake will keep well for up to five days at a cool room temperature.
The cake freezes beautifully. Cut into pieces and wrap in parchment paper and a double layer of foil. It will keep well for one month.
Improvise with the spices. Instead of ginger, try a teaspoon of cinnamon or mixed spice. Or perhaps 1/4 tsp of ground cloves or cardamom.