By Janet Tharpe
Columnist

Citrus adds zing to everything it touches, from baked goods to meat on the grill to soups and salads.

Home cook Glenda Moore makes orange the flavor star of this marvelous cake.

An orange juice syrup moistens the cake, orange zest adds kick, and orange marmalade both tops the cake and hides inside a luscious layer. Buttermilk in the batter and sour cream in the frosting add tang to balance the cake’s sweetness. One bite and you’ll be hooked!

See step-by-step photos of Glenda’s recipe, plus thousands more from home cooks around the country, at www.justapinch.com. You’ll also find a meal planner, coupons and chances to win.

Enjoy and remember, use “just a pinch”…

Janet Tharpe writes for the Just a Pinch Recipe Club at justapinch.com, where you can find these recipes and many others.

Orange Marmalade Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 (12-oounce) jar of orange marmalade

Frosting

• 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream, chilled

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter two round 9-inch cake pans and line with wax paper. Sift soda and salt, set aside. Beat butter with mixer until smooth. Add 2 cups sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, zest and vanilla. Beat in 1/2 of dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk until combined. Divide batter into 2 pans, tap to remove air bubbles. Bake 45 minutes or until done, place on wire racks and cool in pans 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make orange syrup by mixing orange juice with 1/4 cup sugar until dissolved. With toothpicks, poke holes in cake and spoon syrup over each layer until absorbed.
• Heat marmalade until just melted, let cool 5 minutes.
• For frosting, whisk heavy cream with sugar in bowl until stiff peaks form. Add sour cream a little at a time, until mixture is of spreading consistency.
• Remove cakes from pan. Spread 2/3 of warmed marmalade over one layer. Top with second layer. Spoon remaining marmalade onto cake, leaving 1-¼-inch border around the cake. Frost border and sides of cake. Chill for at least two hours or up to 24 hours before serving.