Not satisfied with making enough jam to slake Steve’s appetite for fruit-laced yogurt, last winter Michelle decided to also make Seville orange marmalade. After peeling, juicing, slicing and boiling, she’d produced several batches—exactly none of which met her stringent standards. Some seemed too thick with slabs of peel, others too runny and light. Steve thought they were all fine, especially the “blended” jars that Goldilocks-edly straddled the thick-thin divide. Unfortunately, Steve does not eat that much marmalade. He finds its citrusy sourness too close to the tang of yogurt. And while he does love a thick layer slathered over butter on a baguette, he will not allow himself to have that very often, fearing a transformation into Papa Bear. So thick, thin and “just right,” much of Gourmandistan’s marmalade remained uneaten until recently, when Steve finally convinced Michelle to start using the stuff in desserts. Steve liked Michelle’s first effort (a chocolate cake with marmalade filling) very much, as he is quite fond of candied orange dipped in chocolate. However, Michelle was not as attracted to the pairing, and sought a more appetizing (to her, at least) option.
Recently, while Steve was in New York attending the Roger Smith Cookbook Conference (when not eating and partying with the amazing Daisy from coolcookstyle), Michelle made a short trip upriver to Madison, Indiana where she rummaged around antique stores, finding some old cookbooks including a copy of Food in Good Season by Betty Fussell containing a recipe for Marmalade Carrot Cake.
Fussell is perhaps best known for I Hear America Cooking, a 1986 book of regional dishes that did not survive one of Gourmandistan’s frequent cookbook purges. (Michelle, after buying several new volumes, may be steeling herself for another.) 1988’s Food in Good Season bills itself as “A Month-by-Month Harvest of Country Recipes for Cooks Everywhere.” And while it’s not quite yet March, Michelle was drawn to this Marmalade Carrot Cake, because it called for both marmalade and carrots (which we happened to have in February thanks to Farmer Pavel’s winter CSA). While Steve staggered about Bushwick and other parts of the Big Apple, Michelle brought out her seldom-used Bundt pan and baked, producing a not-too-sweet, satisfyingly succulent little cake. It was a great way to get rid of “bad” marmalade, though we both thought the recipe could use a bit more carrot. True March, however, is merely weeks away—and Pavel will possibly have more carrots to offer when our non-winter farm share begins. Making marmalade may not be in the cards this season, but this cake will almost certainly get another go.
MARMALADE CARROT CAKE
(adapted from Betty Fussell’s Food in Good Season)
- Butter and flour for pan
- 1/2 c. (or more) carrots, chopped very finely
- 3/4 c. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 c. sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/2 c. orange marmalade, roughly chopped in food processor
- 1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped in food processor
- 1/4 c. crème fraîche
- 1/3 c. fresh orange juice
- 1/3 c. sugar
Preheat oven to 325°. Cook carrots in boiling water for a couple of minutes until done. Drain and set aside. Liberally butter and flour a Bundt pan. Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixture. Add eggs and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir into egg mixture. Add carrots, marmalade, almonds and crème fraîche, stirring until mixed. Place batter in Bundt pan and level with a spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 minutes. While cake is cooling, heat orange juice and 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan, just until sugar is dissolved. Remove cake from pan and place on a rack placed over a sheet of waxed paper. Pour the syrup over the cake. You can serve the cake with a dollop of crème fraîche and some marmalade. But, truthfully, it’s better just plain.
Gourmandistan 
This might be my favorite cake that I’ve never eaten. I like my carrot cake a bit health-food-ier, but you can be sure that I’ll be adding a generous helping of marmalade next time. And a marmalade glaze? Could there be such a thing as a marmalade cream cheese frosting? I will have to make lots and lots of cakes to compare, I think.
Yes, I think that you should make many carrot cakes. For research purposes, of course. If you make this one, just add a lot more carrots.
I’m not much of a baker, so, when I read that someone has added orange marmalade to a carrot cake recipe, I’m impressed. I just don’t have the skill to do any altering to a baking recipe. I am smart enough, however, to trust the experience of others. If this cake is popular in Gourmandistan, I’m sure it will be a hit in a Bartolini household. Thanks for sharing.
Perhaps because I’ve spent a lifetime baking, making changes to dessert recipes terrifies me. The slightest change can make such a tremendous difference! The only real alteration I made to this one was to add the crème fraîche. The batter was just so very dry. Luckily, it turned out ok.
So true! Baking is so precise!
I’m with Steve. Marmalade on buttered toast is absolutely great. I remember friends swooning over the delights of Steamed Marmalade Pudding with custard but, as both steamed puddings and English custard are anathema to me I never got into the swooning bit.
I am going to have to try a steamed pudding one day. I imagine I’ll come down on your side, but I must try it nevertheless. Don’t like custard though? Why Roger!
Bunny approved Marmelade, love it. I appreciate home made jams & preserves very much and the incredible smell which fills the home too. Love the combination of carrot & orange, so I’m bound to truly love this too.
Why thank you! I actually love the taste of the bitter jelly parts, but I’m not so keen on the peels. (Yes, I know, that means I really don’t much like marmalade…)
The 33 resident Paddingtons now adore you. We definitely have some “bad” marmalade lurking about, and when they’re not looking, I may just try this recipe, since I love carrot cake!
Just add more carrots. For the bunnies, of course.
Did you find actual Seville oranges? I haven’t ever seen them here.
At Holy (I mean, Whole) Foods. God only knows how much they cost. I didn’t see any this winter, but I haven’t been going there much what with the winter CSA and all. Truthfully, the whole marmalade experience is not one I really want to repeat. It was a huge pain. But who knows? Maybe if I see Sevilles next year, I’ll try again.
People keep bringing me jars of Seville and blood orange preserves from Spain. I figure I can’t do any better than that. (Stick with what I’m good at. i.e. brushing some Seville preserves on top of a fois gras-crusted brioche, pouring a glass of Sauternes and getting down to it.)
Tat looks like terrific marmalade and I love carrot cake 😉
I really liked the cake. It was really like an orange-flavored almond cake with a little confetti of carrot thrown in. Not sure I’ll ever try to tackle marmalade again. I think the bought ones are better than either of the recipes I tried last year. And it was a HUGE pain to make.
This gives me some idea, marmalade is a nice addition to that carrot cake. I guess I will try it on my own using apricot marmalade instead
It really is an idea one could play around with. Apricot marmalade? That sounds terrific!
Ha. When I saw the post title, I thought you had gotten your hands on a rabbit shaped bundt pan! I’ve only made carrot cake once but our pet rabbit approved of it because he got all the carrot peel and carrot tops! No cake for bunny though.
Can bunnies not eat cake? I thought they ate everything. I knew somebody who had one and it ate the wallpaper!
My bunny would eat cake in a heartbeat. But all that sugar isn’t good for them. My rabbit gets fat on pellets as it is. Cake would go straight to his already plump bottom.
Aha! Our chickens love sweet things. Luckily they seem to move around enough to eat sweets and still not get fat. So nice having living garbage disposals.
I love bundt with nothing but butter.
Lovely post.
Plain is often best. Especially if butter is involved.
Michelle, this sounds so good! I’m so fond of orange in carrot cake. This is definitely getting bookmarked to bake soon!
daisy
Thanks, Daisy! It is a nice combo, isn’t it?
I love this recipe, it’s so different than most other carrot cake recipes. Can’t wait to give this a try!
I’m an orange marmalade lover but I agree with you about it being time consuming to make. The combination of flavors in your cake sound very good.
I had such an amazing time eating and drinking with Steve! We missed you, Michelle! You need to come up here too!
This looks great. I have kind of a similar situation with jam. I love making jam. LOVE IT. I find home-made jam better than any other kind of jam. But, since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I end up giving much of it away. Good for you for committing to finding other ways to use it up! this looks great!
That sounds fantastic! I love orange marmalade! I’ve never made it homemade though… I need to try that!
How did I miss this post?! This sounds delicious!
Bundt cakes are one of my favorite things ever!
Wait, how much sugar? it says 1/c c. lol I guess that means 1/2 cup??
Yes, c. = cup in imprecise American way of cooking.
Aha! Now I read this with my glasses ON and I see what you were telling me. Thanks, and I’ll correct it! (And actually it’s 1/3 c.)