I developed this recipe to use some of the copious orange marmalade I have sitting around. The pectin in the jam replaces the air-retaining function of eggs, so this recipe is easily made vegan as presented here, though ordinary milk can also be used. Because of the loss of structure contributed by eggs to most cake recipes, all purpose flour is used. A brief beating period at the end, normally avoided in cakes, develops some additional structure without making the cake bready.
Ingredients
For 2 8-inch layers
- 250 g (1 cup) jelly
- 100 g (8 tbs) shortening
- 200 g (3/4 cup) sugar
- 300 g (2 1/2 cup) all purpose flour
- 15 g (1 tbs) baking powder
- 3 g (1/2 tsp) salt
- 250 g (1 1/8 cup) vegan milk
- 3 g (1 tsp) cider vinegar
- 2.5 g (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 2.5 g (1 tsp) flavour extract (optional)
Steps
- If using jam, melt and strain out solids and use the liquid portion. Use enough to yield the prescribed amount of jelly and let it cool. Solids can be incorporated into cake filling if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- Cream shortening. Add sugar and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add jelly and beat another 5 minutes until fluffy.
- Sift together the dry ingredients, and stir together the wet ingredients.
- Add flour and milk mixtures to jam mixture. Stir together well, then beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Spread evenly into pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool in pans 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack, remove pans, then immediately flip again onto another rack to cool cakes on their base.