My slow cooker marmalade cake is a rich madeira cake with marmalade in the cake mixture and used as a thick glaze on top, and I can attest that it works really well with a cup of tea for breakfast!
Ahh autumn, crisp leaves in red, brown and gold on their way, cardies at the ready, and a few small signs that summer is slowly fading.
It also suddenly seems a lot more acceptable to enjoy a slice of cake of an afternoon (or morning in this case).
Slow cooker cake
Slow cooker marmalade cake I hear you ask, but why baked in a slow cooker? Well if they taste great and bake while you work or play, why not?
Slow cooker baking is a favourite pastime of mine, do have a look in my slow cooker archives for loads more ideas, and check out my guide to baking and desserts in a slow cooker.
The cake takes about an hour and a half to bake, won’t burn quickly and if you have kids they can bake along with you.
If you are a marmalade lover you have to try it! Much better than marmalade on toast.
Marmalade cake
Why marmalade? I’m a big fan.
If you aren’t from the UK you might not know our devotion to Seville orange marmalade, a preserve made from the juice and peel of Seville oranges.
The peel of Seville oranges gives the marmalade a delicious bitter taste which contrasts so well with the sweetness of the orange.
It is delicious on toast for breakfast and in baking!
In my slow cooker marmalade cake the cake mixture itself is flavoured gently with marmalade and then I’ve poured some warmed marmalade on top to give it a thick glaze.
I just love the colour it gives the cake.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make this recipe, get the quantities from the recipe card further down:
- butter
- caster sugar
- flour
- eggs
- baking powder
- vanilla extract
- marmalade
- zest of an orange or clementine
Method
- Cream the sugar and the butter together until fluffy.
- Add the eggs one by one and mix them in well with a wooden spoon.
- Add the vanilla bean paste or extract.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder.
- Line your slow cooker pot. I use a round 3.5 litre slow cooker to make cakes, and line it with 2 large paper cake cases or loaf cake cases (available in pound shops etc). You could also use baking paper.
- Spoon half of the cake mixture into the lined pot. Add four to five heaped teaspoons of marmalade on top of the cake mixture and marble it in with a knife, then spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top.
- Add four to five more heaped teaspoons of marmalade on top. Use a knife to marble it through the cake mixture.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker with a tea towel tucked under it to catch drips. Make sure you fold up the sides of the tea towel over the lid of the slow cooker, so they don’t hang down over the edges of the crockpot.
- Bake on high for about 1.5-2 hours or until a knife comes out clean from the centre of the cake. The time really varies depending on your slow cooker so keep an eye on it! If the sides start to burn, rotate the bowl within the slow cooker or turn it to low.
- When ready, let it cool a little then use the edge of the cake case to pull the cake out of the pot, and leave it to cool fully on a rack.
- Make the glaze by warming 3-4 tablespoons of marmalade gently in the microwave in a small bowl.
- When the cake is cold, pour the marmalade over it and spread to the edges.
- Serve and enjoy!
The cake is moistened by the marmalade and the method of cooking, it has a great crumb as you can see, and as it is a Madeira cake it is denser than a standard sponge.
Tips
To bake in the slow cooker, the key to not getting a soggy cake is a clean tea towel/dishcloth under the lid, which catches any drips of condensation.
Make sure you tuck up the sides so they don’t hang down over the side of the slow cooker though, to be safe.
Perfect for afternoon tea as well as for breakfast, this is a simple but delicious cake.
Go as easy or heavy on the marmalade glaze as you like! I think you can tell I am a big marmalade fan so my glaze is nice and thick.
More recipes with marmalade
For more ideas with marmalade or to make your own:
- homemade Seville orange marmalade from Farmersgirl Kitchen
- gin and lime marmalade from Feeding Boys
- simple shredless orange marmalade from Fab Food 4 All
- marmalade Runeberg cakes from Tin and Thyme
- sticky orange marmalade loaf cake from Fuss Free Flavours
Pin this slow cooker marmalade cake for later
Recipe
Slow Cooker Marmalade Cake
Ingredients
- 165 g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 165 g golden caster sugar
- 3 medium free-range eggs
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 8-10 heaped teaspoons of Seville orange marmalade
- Zest of 2 clementines or 1 orange
For the glaze:
- 3-4 heaped tablespoons of Seville orange marmalade
Equipment
Instructions
- Cream the sugar and the butter together until fluffy.165 g unsalted butter, 165 g golden caster sugar
- Add the eggs one by one and mix them in well with a wooden spoon.3 medium free-range eggs
- Add the vanilla bean paste or extract.1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, Zest of 2 clementines or 1 orange
- Fold in the flour and baking powder.250 g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder
- Line your slow cooker pot. I use a round 3.5 litre slow cooker to make cakes, and line it with 2 large paper cake cases or loaf cake cases (available in pound shops etc). You could also use baking paper.
- Spoon half of the cake mixture into the lined pot. Add four to five heaped teaspoons of marmalade on top of the cake mixture and marble it in with a knife, then spoon the rest of the cake mixture on top.8-10 heaped teaspoons of Seville orange marmalade
- Add four to five more heaped teaspoons of marmalade on top. Use a knife to marble it through the cake mixture.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker with a tea towel tucked under it to catch drips. Make sure you fold up the sides of the tea towel over the lid of the slow cooker, so they don’t hang down over the edges of the crockpot.
- Bake on high for about 1.5-2 hours or until a knife comes out clean from the centre of the cake. The time really varies depending on your slow cooker so keep an eye on it! If the sides start to burn, rotate the bowl within the slow cooker or turn it to low.
- When ready, let it cool a little then use the edge of the cake case to pull the cake out of the pot, and leave it to cool fully on a rack.
- Make the glaze by warming 3-4 tablespoons of marmalade gently in the microwave in a small bowl.3-4 heaped tablespoons of Seville orange marmalade
- When the cake is cold, pour the marmalade over it and spread to the edges.
- Serve and enjoy!
Stephanie Jane (Literary Flits) says
I made this today and it came out perfectly! Light moist cake with a delicious fruity flavour.
I veganised the recipe by using vegetable oil spread instead of butter and 9 tbsps of frothed aquafaba instead of eggs.
Thank you for this great recipe. I’ve bookmarked it to make again!
bakingqueen74 says
That’s brilliant Steph thanks a lot for letting me know you enjoyed it! Great to hear how to veganise it too, I never know exactly what to do.
Camilla says
Loving this Marmalade Cake, makes me want to reach in and grab a slice right now☺️ Thank you for linking to my marmalade
Alida@mylittleitaliankitchen says
This is a lovely wholesome cake. I can only imagine how perfumed it must be. I love marmalade!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
This sounds so delicious Lucy, and I know my Mum would just love it – she’s such a huge fan of marmalde! It’s really amazing how a slow cooker can produce such a fabulous cake.
Angela x
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Angela – good to hear of more marmalade fans too!
Helen @ family-friends-food.com says
Yet another good reason to get a slow cooker! I love marmalade – yum 🙂
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Helen!
Hannah Hossack-Lodge says
I adore marmalade cake, yours looks like it has a lovely texture and I love the thick layer of marmalade on top!
bakingqueen74 says
Yes I didn’t stint on marmalade here! 😉
Janice says
I haven’t managed to make a successful crockpot bake, but this is a glorious looking recipe and I think I might have another go!
bakingqueen74 says
Great Janice!
Camilla Hawkins says
This looks so good, Paddington would be in his element:-)
bakingqueen74 says
Hehe he certainly would Camilla! 🙂
Eb Gargano says
This looks wonderful. I must try making a cake in my slow cooker one of these days!! Eb x
Eb Gargano says
P.S. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare! Eb x
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks for hosting Eb!
Cat says
I’ve only baked once in my slow cooker and it was a bit of a disaster. It was also the first time I’d used my slow cooker and for some reason decided a recipe for slow cooker cinnamon rolls was the best thing to try out. I was wrong!
I’ll have to give baking in my slow cooker another try as this cake looks so tasty! x
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Cat! Cinnamon rolls sound good, I made berry ones in slow cooker ages ago, they were tasty but a bit of a mess!
jenny paulin says
ooooh this looks gorgeous Lucy, your sponge is so big and the topping is so tempting! x
Jo @ Jo\'s Kitchen Larder says
Love marmalade and your cake looks absolutely fantastic Lucy! x
Chica Andaluza says
I haven’t yet made a cake in my slow cooker but as we’re both huge marmalade fans, think this might be the one I start with! Looks and sounds lovely.
bakingqueen74 says
Brilliant, hope you do and that you enjoy it.