Fruit Bread & Butter pudding with marmalade

This is a little bit of 'melt in your mouth' heaven - absolutely the most delicious comfort food.
Ingredients
100g butter, at room temperature
1 loaf sliced fruit bread
200g orange marmalade
3 Eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup thickened cream
zest of an orange
1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flaked almonds

Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 30cm x 20cm (3L) baking dish with butter.
Spread both sides of the bread with butter. Spread one side with the marmalade. Arrange the bread, marmalade-side up, in the baking dish.
Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, orange zest, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well combined. Strain the egg custard mixture into a jug. Pour over the bread. Press the bread down to submerge in the custard. Set aside for 20 mins to soak.
Top the pudding with the almonds. Bake in the oven for 45 mins or until the custard is just set and the top is golden. Serve with ice-cream or cream or custard.

Chook's note: use either panettone or a good dense fruit loaf.