Marmalade Tunis Cake

This is my take on a tunis cake. The sponge has a lovely orange flavour, and is slightly sticky in texture owing to the marmalade, particularly on the outside. It needs a slow low bake to ensure it cooks through fully as it is fairly deep and the edges otherwise have a tendency to bake much faster than the centre. However, it is worth the time to wait!

Recipe - Makes a 6 inch cake

For the sponge:

• 100ml dairy-free milk
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 125g margarine
• 125g golden caster sugar
• 125g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 60g orange marmalade

For the topping:

• 100g dark chocolate (60% cocoa)
• 40ml dairy-free milk
• 20g margarine
• 30g ready-to roll royal icing
• Orange food colouring

Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease a 6 inch loose-bottomed cake tin with margarine and line the base with baking paper. Add the vinegar to the milk and stir, then set aside until needed. Cream the margarine and sugar to pale and light. Add the milk and mix, then fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda. Stir through the marmalade and pour the cake batter into the prepared tin, smoothing to roughly level. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake is browning too much, cover with foil whilst baking. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then carefully transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.  

When the cake has cooled, line a 6 inch loose-bottomed cake tin (the same one but cleaned or an identical tin) with clingfilm, covering the bottom and the whole way up the sides. Gently place the cake in the tin, then make the ganache. 

Finely chop the chocolate into a bowl. Heat the milk until boiling and pour into the chocolate, stirring gently until the chocolate has melted (you may need to heat in the microwave on very low to help it melt or place over a pan of gently simmering water). Stir in the margarine until melted. Pour the ganache over the cake and spread out to the sides, smoothing to flat. Place in the fridge and chill until set. 

Meanwhile, make the icing decorations. Colour the icing to a bright orange colour. Roll out to 5mm thick and cut medium and small stars. Layer the medium and small stars, using a little water to help them stick, then arrange around the top of the cake when the ganache has set, using a little water again as glue. 

Gently remove the cake from the tin and peel the clingfilm off the sides. Smooth the chocolate round the edges by heating a small dish of water to hot and dipping a knife or palette knife in, drying with kitchen roll and immediately using it to smooth the chocolate edges (it should melt a little). Do this until ready to serve.