If last week was coffee week, it really
does look like the theme of this week that’s just passed is booze. Or maybe the
four glasses of complimentary mulled wine I got given at the hairdresser’s
today are making me talk nonsense. Either way, this is a very delicious moist
almond-y marzipan-y loaf cake that is soaked in lovely spiced rum froma pretty bottle. Why not, “It’s Christmas” after all (?).
BOOZY MARZIPAN LOAF CAKE
60ml (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted
165ml (2/3 cup) soya milk
juice of 1 orange
70g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar
70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
250g (2 cups) plain flour
100g (2/3 cup) ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
110g (4oz) marzipan, chopped
60ml (1/4 cup) spiced rum
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and
lightly grease a loaf tin. In a mixing bowl, whisk together oil, milk, orange
juice, sugars, vanilla and almond extracts and vinegar, and leave aside for a
few minutes to curdle. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, ground almonds,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the chopped marzipan and mix
thoroughly until the pieces are evenly coated with the flour mixture and there
are no clumps. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture and quickly mix
with a spoon until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and
bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake
comes out clean. As soon as you take it out of the oven, prick the surface of
the cake with a skewer or fork, then pour the rum all over. Place the tin on a
rack and leave to cool. Once completely cool wrap the tin tightly in cling film
and ideally wait 12 hours (and up to 5 days) before serving, so the rum can
soak in and distribute properly. Then cheers, arr.
