"A good keeping cake this, if wrapped up well and left somewhere dark," says food writer Catherine Phipps.
Ingredients
Serves 10–12
- 175g plus 1tsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 100g raisins
- 100ml/7tbsp rum
- 175g wholemeal (wholewheat) spelt flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp ground mixed spice
- 175g plus 2tbsp dark muscovado sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lime
- 150g marmalade
- 50g finely chopped stem ginger
- 3 eggs
To glaze:
- 2tbsp marmalade
- 1tbsp rum (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Butter and line a 1kg loaf tin.
- Put the raisins in a small saucepan and add the rum. Bring to the boil, then immediately remove from the heat and leave to stand while you make the rest of the cake.
- Put the flour in a bowl with the baking powder and spices. Whisk together to combine and remove any lumps. Beat the butter and sugar together in another bowl with the lime zest until very soft, and lightened to the colour of butterscotch.
- Beat in the marmalade and ginger, then add the eggs one at a time, adding a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture with each addition.
- Stir through the rum-infused raisins along with any liquid that hasn't been absorbed. Scrape the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for around one hour, until well risen and a rich brown.
- For the glaze, melt the marmalade and rum, if using, together in a small saucepan and brush over the cake while it is still warm. Leave to cool in the tin. If you can bear to wrap this up and leave it for a couple of days, it will be all the better for it.
Citrus by Catherine Phipps, photography by Mowie Kay, is published by Quadrille. Available now.
