Madeira Cake Recipes

MADEIRA LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• 1 Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 900g loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Using an electric whisk, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Now beat in the flour and almonds until you have a thick batter. The batter should be loose enough that it falls off a wooden spoon, if it's too thick mix in a splash of milk.
• Tip the batter into the tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 55 mins - 1hr until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven then leave to cool for 15 mins then remove from the tin, peel away the paper and leave on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. The loaf will keep in an airtight container for three days.

MADEIRA CAKE (A CLASSIC BRITISH CAKE)

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add one egg at a time, clearing after each addition. Then add a heaping tablespoonful of flour after adding 2 eggs (this will help the batter not to curdle). Repeat after another 2 eggs.
• After all the eggs have been incorporated, add the grated lemon rind, and then the remaining flour mixture.
• Fold in the flour gently. It's quite a dry cake batter, so don't panic if you think it's turning into a dough.
• Keep folding until the flour is evenly mixed in, and the batter is smooth. Remember, it is much heavier than a standard sponge or cake batter
• Spread the cake batter into a prepared 8" springform pan. Sprinkle the top with the teaspoon of sugar.
• Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out dry when placed into the center of the cake. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, then remove and place on cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
• Cut into wedges or slices.
• Serve with your choice of beverage.

VANILLA MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and line a round cake pan with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir vanilla extract into creamed butter mixture.
• Sift flour and baking powder into creamed butter mixture and stir until batter is well mixed. Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Cool cake in the cake pan for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

EASY MADEIRA CAKE WITH A SUGAR CRUST TOPPING

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F. Coat a 8x4-inch loaf pan with butter, then line the bottom and sides with a parchment paper sling.
• Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
• Place the butter, 1 cup of the sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until very pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; set aside.
• Add 1 of the eggs and a spoonful of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat to combine. Repeat with the remaining eggs, accompanying each egg with a spoonful of flour and beating thoroughly and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between each addition.
• Add the lemon juice and remaining flour mixture, then beat to combine. You should end up with a stiff batter that holds its shape. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to push the batter down into all the corners, then smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the cake.
• Bake until the cake is firm and golden-brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing the cake from the pan.

MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
• Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.

SIMPLE EASY MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170ºC/150ºC Fan/gas mark 3/325ºF
• Cream the butter and sugar, and add the lemon zest and juice
• Add the eggs a couple at a time with half of the flour each time
• Transfer to a loaf tin (make sure you line and butter it)
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of caster sugar over the top before putting it in the oven to bake. Bake for 1hr 15mins or until cake tester comes out clean.

CHERRY MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/160 FAN/Gas Mark 4.
• Grease the tin with the teaspoon of butter and line with baking parchment.
• Wash the cherries, cut into halves and dry on kitchen paper.
• In a food mixer or large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until very soft and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs individually and add them one by one to the cake batter, mixing well after each addition.
• Use a tablespoon of the flour to mix with the cherries and add the rest of the flour, baking powder and the ground almonds to the batter.
• Fold in the flour mixture with a metal spoon.
• Put half of the batter in the bottom of the tin and spread into a layer.
• Push half of the cherries in and repeat.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave it to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then transfer to a cooling rack.
• Wait until the cake is completely cool before slicing.

MARY BERRY'S MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat everything well until creamy.
• Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
• In go the flour and ground almonds together with the lemon zest.
• Mix everything well to get a smooth thick batter.
• Grease and flour a 23 cm/9 inch round cake tin, and spread the batter evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the cake tin, and transfer to a cooling rack to be cooled down completely.