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Family Bites baby shower: Marmalade poke cake


This is a special post for a special friend. You see, blogger Jan Scott of Family Bites is expecting her third son this month, and so a group of her bloggy friends (led by Mardi at eat. live. travel. write.) are creating a virtual baby shower for her today. When you have food blogger friends all across Canada who think you're pretty special, this is what they do for you.

Jan is the sort of person who always offers a smile and a supportive listening ear. She's bright, talented and caring, and I often wish we lived closer so we could visit each other's kitchens to sip coffee while trying to chat over the noise of our kids. Basically, she's a good egg and her nest is about to get fuller!

The idea of this baby shower blog tour is to bring something delicious to share. Way back in the planning phase, I quickly typed into Mardi's handy Google doc that I would bring a 'marmalade cake.' What that was I didn't yet know, but I figured it sounded like a pretty good idea for the height of citrus season. With my recently canned homemade Seville orange marmalade, I created this deliciously sticky marmalade poke cake that feels dainty and decadent for a special occasion. Get the recipe below.

I'm also bringing a gift to the shower - a hand-knitted baby blanket that I started last fall. It is based on the Chevron Baby Blanket pattern by Espace Tricot. Luckily I remembered to snap a few photos before I shipped it off to Jan last month to find a home amongst the baby's things.

So, congratulations to Jan and family. I can't wait to see the first photos of this lucky little boy!

Check out all the other Canadian food bloggers who are taking part in today's baby shower blog tour:

Mardi from eat. live. travel. write made Blueberry Cheesecake Macarons.
Julie from Dinner with Julie made Meyer Lemon Scones with Lemon Drizzle + Lemon Curd.
Heather from The Tasty Gardener made Cream Puffs with Caramel Whipped Cream.
Isabelle from Crumb: A Food Blog made Blackberry Meringue Bars.
Jennifer from Seasons and Suppers made Baby Blueberry Beignets.
Aimée from Simple Bites made Roasted Turnip Hummus.
Jenny from The Brunette Baker made Wild Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins.
Liliana from My Cookbook Addiction made Vanilla Mini-cupcakes.
Carole from The Yum Yum Factor made Beet and Blue Cheese Canapes.
Charmian from The Messy Baker made Piglet Muffins.
Brittany from My Daily Randomness made Caramel + Pumpkin Parfaits.
Meg from Sweet Twist of Blogging made Apple Carrot Loaf.
Louisa from Living Lou made Maple Walnut Cookies.
Libby from Libby Roach Photography made Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies.
Robyn from Planet Byn made Milk & Cookies Shooters.
 
 
Marmalade Poke Cake
Makes 9 servings
 
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) orange zest
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
 
GLAZE
1/2 cup (125 mL) orange marmalade
2 tbsp (30 mL) heavy (35%) cream
 
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
 
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, milk, oil and orange zest and beat well (the mixture may appear curdled and that's fine).
 
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cloves. Stir into the wet ingredients just until moistened. Pour into a well-greased 9x9 baking pan. Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
 
Meantime, prepare the glaze by adding the marmalade and cream to a small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over medium heat until steam begins to rise from the saucepan. Remove from the heat.
 
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Poke the cake all over with a toothpick. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake. Serve warm or room temperature.
 
Do you have a favourite baby shower recipe? Share your recipe links in the comments. And be sure to go congratulate Jan at Family Bites on her pending arrival!