Lemon & Lime Marmalade Cake

Today I thought I would bake a cake using some of my lemon & Lime Marmalade I made the other day. Now I wanted to give myself a little challenge in using self-raising wholemeal flour in this bake. What did I think of the outcome I hear you ask in using different flour? The texture I thought was more of a crumbly one but it gave good flavour to the cake. Just think of lemons and how your mouth waters well adding citrus marmalade into the cake and icing gives that sweet and sour edge. I thought this would give me a chance to show you how I have incorporated some of my preserve in a bake. I wouldn’t call this a fancy cake but then the proof is in the taste. Personally I think this would make a great dessert cake without the icing and served with lashings of custard.

Lemon & Lime Marmalade Cake
175g (6 oz) softened butter
50g (2 oz) soft light brown sugar
5 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
150g (5 oz) lemon & lime marmalade
275g (10 oz) self-raising whole meal flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
For The Icing
225g (8 oz) icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
You will need 20cm (8 in) springform cake tin greased and lined with greaseproof paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the golden syrup and beat through until combined. Beat in one egg at a time until all incorporated then beat in the marmalade. Sieve the flour baking powder and ground ginger together and fold gently into the mixture in the bowl. Add both lemon and lime juice and fold through gently until all combined and of a good dropping consistency. Place into the cake tin and smooth the top over with a spatula. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1- 1¼ hour(s) or until the top feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.

Make the icing by sieving the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add both lemon and lime juice. Mix to a smooth mixture remembering you want the icing to dribble down the sides a little, so add a little more citrus juice if the icing is to stiff.

Place the cake onto a serving plate and spoon the icing on top of the cooled cake letting some of the icing dribble down the sides.

Pixie at You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto has posted a lovely Clementine Curd and her thoughts of being new to preserving. Pixie and I hope to post different preserves and recipes up to the end of the closing date for ‘Putting Up” I wonder who will be the lucky winner in the raffle at the end for a gorgeous preserve book. You can find out more about the event on one of my earlier posts [link here].

Lemon & Lime Marmalade

Lemon & Lime Marmalade

Back view of jar showing the zest suspending in the preserve

I couldn't wait to get out my jam jars, preserving equipment for this wonderful ‘Putting Up’ Event. I had some lemon and limes, which I thought would make an excellent combination for marmalade. I have a fondness for using preserves in my baking but nothing beats a warm toasted slice of bread with lashings of marmalade in my opinion! This marmalade isn’t as sweet as some and gives a wonderful sharp edge to it and both citrus flavours shine through remarkably to give a clean taste to your palette. Note you need to start this recipe the night before.

I will try and guide you through the stages of this preserve to the best of my knowledge that I have learnt from making my own preserves. Of course I don’t proclaim to know everything and remain to learn all the time, so please feel free to leave any feedback. I am always willing to learn new procedures or valuable tips!

The setting point is one that can be hard to grasp at first, as I found to my cost when I first started making preserves. I have tried to explain to the best of my ability what to look for in a setting point.

I managed to yield three 450g (1lb) jars and ¾ filled a fourth 450g (1lb) jar from this recipe.

Lemon & Lime Marmalade
225g (8 oz) lemons
225g (8 oz) limes
15 litters (2½ pints) cold water
1.125kg (2½ lb) caster sugar
You will also need 4 x 450g (1lb) jam jars with lids or covers

Method

Wash your preserving pan or heavy based large pan in hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly on a clean tea towel.

Taking the lemons and limes, wash in hot water to remove any wax if they are not organic and to ensure the skins are fully clean. Dry thoroughly on a clean tea towel. Cut the fruit in half squeezing out all the juice and placing in a jug covered over in the fridge for the next day. Any pips and pulp scoop out and place into a muslin in the middle, tie tightly with string around the top to encase all the pips and pulp leaving a little extra string to tie to the handle if possible onto the preserving pan. Place the muslin bag of pips and pulp into the preserving pan with the water. Slice the zest and pith into thin strips and place this in the preserving pan. Cover over with foil or a lid and leave to soak overnight.

Showing preserving equipment I use minus jam jars, lids and labels

Next day, wash all the jam jars and equipment in hot soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly on a clean tea towel. Heat the oven on a low heat and place the jars on a baking tray and place in the oven to sterilise. Sterilise all lids or if using a kilnar jar the rubber seal in boiling water in a bowl or pan, do not place these in the oven.

Place two side plates in the freezer for the setting point if not using a sugar thermometer.

You can at this stage also warm the sugar through in the low oven on a large baking tray; this will help dissolve the sugar quicker when added to the preserving pan.

Place the preserving pan on a low heat on the stove and let it simmer until the zest is soft enough. You will need to keep the pan covered either by a lid or foil to ensure that you don’t lose fluid, (it can take an hour or more for the zest to soften). You can test to see if the zest is soft enough by carefully taking a strip out and squeezing through your finger and thumb, it should give easily and break into two. Remove the muslin bag of pips and pulp and squeeze out any fluids, being careful as this will be hot then discard the muslin bag and contents.

The zest soft after a simmer

If using a sugar thermometer clip this onto the side of your pan making sure the base is in the liquid. Now add all the sugar and lemon and lime juice in the jug, keeping the heat low and stirring with a large handled wooden spoon until all the sugar has dissolved. You can test this also by looking at the back of a wooden spoon to see if there are any signs of sugar crystals clinging to it. The sugar MUST BE fully dissolved before going on to the next stage.

A rolling rapid boil

Increase the heat and bring to a rolling rapid boil and boil until setting point is reached, making sure you remain to keep stirring to prevent the contents burning. This will be very hot at this stage so this is why I recommend a long handle wooden spoon to help prevent any splashes onto the skin. Setting point can be reached at any point from 5 – 20 minutes or even longer in some cases. Signs to look for in a set point would be, the fruit will not rise as vigorously and it makes less noise when bubbling and large bubbles appear on the surface. Always remove the preserving pan off the heat when testing for setting point. The sugar thermometer will read on the jam setting when ready or take a plate out of the freezer and place a teaspoon of the preserve on it. Leave this to cool and with your finger push through the middle, you will notice a wrinkle to the skin of the preserve and clearly a line through the centre where your finger has been. If the set is not reached place back on the heat and boil rapidly once again for 5 minutes, take off the heat and try again as above to see if setting point is reached.

Testing for setting point with a sugar thermometer

Testing for setting point with a plate

You can also judge before taking off the heat to test for a set by coating the back of a wooden spoon, and you will notice drops of jelly forming on the bottom of the spoon.

Showing jelly droplets on the back of a wooden spoon

When the correct set is achieved leave the preserve to cool a little giving a stir from time to time. You will notice the zest starting to suspend in the jelly of the preserve. If you pot up to early the zest will not suspend equally throughout the preserve.

It’s now time for potting up the preserve. Bring out the warm jars from the oven and place on a heat proof surface. Using a ladle or large spoon and jam funnel if you have one, fill the jars up to the brim, trying not to leave any gaps between the lid and the jar. This helps elevate any bacteria forming between the lid and jar in storage. With a clean cloth wipe off any stickiness around the outside lip of the jar and seal down with the lids.

Potting up my preserves

Leave the preserve to cool then wipe the outside of each jar to remove any spilt preserve and dry with a clean cloth. Place on the labels and it’s helpful to include the date the preserve was made. You can jazz your jars up with circles of cut fabric or thick wrapping paper tied with a thin ribbon. These make great gifts for family and or friends.

‘Putting up’ Blogging Event

Edit - As of this morning Pixie informed me that she is having a break from blogging for a little while. Hopefully if Pixie is back blogging before the round up May 21st (which we all hope for), I am sure things will remain as before for the round up, if not I will endeavour to take up the reins.

Best wishes Rosie x

My ‘dear’ friend Pixie at You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto came up with a fabulous idea to host a preserves event called ‘Putting Up’. Pixie very kindly asked if I would like to join her in hosting this great event, of course I jumped at the chance like leaping off a cliff without any hesitation! I really enjoy making homemade preserves and I find this event very exciting, so I hope you will join Pixie and I as we preserve our way through fruit and veggies. If it's successful, (which we hope it will be) we will continue with it throughout the year, likely making it seasonal.

We're asking you to share your Jams and Conserves, Jellies, Marmalade, Curds and Butters, Chutneys, Pickles, Relishes and Preserves.

Once you've made your preserve send an email to puttingup(at)gmail(dot)com with the words 'putting up' in the title, by May 21st, with the following information:

* your name, and country

*the name of your blog*

*the name of your jam or preserve

* a link to your post* a photo of your entry (no larger than 500pix)

Please remember to link to both Pixie, You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto and myself Rosie, Rosie Bakes a ‘Peace’ of Cake, so others can participate. You are welcome to use our "Putting Up" badge.Feel free to present a recipe to go along with your preserve. In fact, that would be a wonderful idea, however, please keep in mind that the focus of this event are the Jams&Preserves and we really want to see that JAR!

Afterwards, we'll post a round up of all your entries and will raffle off a ticket for your chance to win this Jam & Preserve book. Have fun and we're looking forward to your creations!

You do not need to have a food blog to enter, so if you are are interested, simply send in your photo and recipe.

Pixie asked if I would give an online preserving interview with her, I was more than happy to share with her and our readers, tips and points I have learnt along the way since starting out on home preserving myself. I would like to share with you my interview which you can read posted on Pixie's Blog at, You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto Blog. Pixie has kindly added some of my photo’s to this interview from preserves I have posted here on my blog