Madeira Cake

Name: Madeira Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 175g Butter; 175g Caster Sugar; 3 Eggs; 250g Self-raising Flour; 3 tbs Milk; Zest of 1 Lemon; To Glaze Mixed Peel

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Serves 8 386 kcal per serving Prep 20 min Cook 1 h 15 min

Ingredients

175g Butter
175g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
250g Self-raising Flour
3 tbs Milk
Zest of 1 Lemon
To Glaze Mixed Peel

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4. Grease an 18 cm round cake tin, line the base with baking parchment and grease the paper as well.
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the final egg, mix in a tablespoon of the flour to help prevent the mixture from curdling.
Sift in the remaining flour and gently fold it through. Gradually add the milk until the batter falls slowly from a spoon. Fold in the lemon zest until evenly combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Place the tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Decorate with mixed candied peel before serving.

Tips

Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling when mixing.
Do not overbeat the flour once it’s added; fold it in gently to maintain a light, fine-textured crumb.
The traditional garnish is a thin slice of candied citron or lemon peel placed on top before baking.

Variations

Orange Madeira: Swap lemon zest for orange zest for a sweeter, citrusy profile.
Almond Madeira: Replace 50g of flour with ground almonds for a moister, nuttier texture.