Marmalade Upside-Down Vanilla-Bourbon Pudding Cake

Bitter orange to vanilla is like Sonny to Cher…. two divas that compliment each other in the best way!

To make the Cake:

Ingredients

• 1 whole orange with skin on
• 1/4 c orange marmalade
• ½ c unsalted butter
• ½ c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ c white flour
• ½ tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

Directions

1. Place the orange into a medium saucepan and add water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20–30 minutes until soft.  Drain the water, and blend the orange in a food processor until smooth, taking out any larger solids. 
2. Grease a 1-quart pudding dish, pyrex or ceramic. Place ¼ c of the marmalade in the base of the dish.   
3. In a mixing bowl, measure in the ½ c butter and ½ c sugar and whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and flour and then the ½ tsp baking soda. Add the blended orange and mix it together. 
4. Pour the mixture on top of the marmalade, cover with greaseproof paper, then the lid. 
5. Place a large saucepan with boiling water on the stove, then carefully set the pudding dish in the boiling water so the water reaches around the side to halfway up the dish. A double boiler may also be used.   
6. Place a lid on top of the saucepan trapping most of the steam and heat around the pudding dish, and simmer for two hours. Keep checking the water and top up when necessary.

To Make the Pudding:

Ingredients

• 1 c of heavy cream
• 1 c of whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean and scrape the seeds/paste
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ c sugar
• 1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Bourbon whiskey

Directions

1. With the tip of a knife, slit a vanilla bean length-wise halfway into the bean, open up the bean and scrape the vanilla paste/seeds into a saucepan of cream and milk, add the bean as well.
2. Bring to a simmer. Do not allow the mixture to boil over.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Strain the cream mixture over the egg yolks gradually stirring all the time.
4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens – take care to keep stirring and keep the heat low so that it does not scramble. Remove from the heat, add vanilla extract and bourbon

To serve, place a piece of the cake onto a serving plate and pour the hot custard on top.