Great British Food Magazine: Chocolate & Mackays Marmalade Devil's Food Cake

   I really enjoy Mackay's baking challenges and more so seeing what all the other food bloggers come up with. Although I've taken a strictly sweet approach to my recipes, other bloggers have come up with some fantastic ways of using jams and preserves in savoury dishes. Including a lemon and lime curd marinade for turkey from Lullabella's Kitchen.


   But, back to the sweet stuff...When asked to come up with another marmalade based recipe, I decided on this chocolate devil's food cake sandwiched between layers of marmalade and chocolate orange buttercream.

   I developed this recipe the week after Christmas, when my days were filled with left over Quality Streets and clementines. Although, this is not intended as a festive recipe - chocolate and orange is one of those flavour combinations that most love all year round. The fresh burst of orange sandwiching each layer makes me hopeful for brighter and warmer days to come!

   I'm very thankful that Mackays asked me to create another recipe for them to feature in Great British Food Magazine. It's very exciting to find a recipe of mine in printed form!

Chocolate & Mackays Marmalade Devil's Food Cake
     280g unsalted butter, softened
     340g caster sugar
     3 large eggs, room temperature
     125ml sour cream, room temperature
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     225g plain flour
     1 tsp baking powder
     1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
     1/4 salt
     300ml boiling water
     115g dark chocolate, chopped
     75g cocoa powder

For the filling and buttercream:
     4 heaped tbsp Mackays Dundee Orange Marmalade
     100g dark chocolate, chopped
     200g unsalted butter, softened
     400g icing sugar
     2 tbsp cocoa powder
     zest of 1 orange to decorate

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease three 7-inch deep sandwich tins and line the bottom of each with baking parchment.
• Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
• Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix until well incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the boiling water, chocolate and cocoa powder until smooth. Fold into the cake batter until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter between the three tins, smooth the tops with a spatula and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Place the cakes in tins to cool on a wire rack. Whilst cooling, brush the tops of each with 2 tbsp of Mackays marmalade loosened with a dash of hot water.
• For the buttercream, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Beat the butter for a few minutes to soften, before sifting in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Continue to beat until you have a light, fluffy buttercream. Then beat in the cooled chocolate and the remaining Mackays marmalade (ensuring all shreds of peel are removed).
• Once the cakes are cool, sandwich together with a layer of buttercream, then cover the top with a thin layer of the remainder. Decorate with orange zest.