Madeira cake is a classic British sponge cake known for its dense yet moist texture and subtle lemony flavor. Originating in England, this cake is traditionally made with simple ingredients such as flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. The batter is mixed until smooth and then baked in a loaf tin, resulting in a golden-brown crust and a firm yet tender crumb. Madeira cake is often enjoyed with tea or coffee, and its versatility allows it to be served plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar for added sweetness. This timeless cake has stood the test of time, remaining a favorite for afternoon tea and special occasions alike, appreciated for its comforting simplicity and delightful flavor profile.
Madeira Cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Ingredients
- 150 g Butter
- 150 g Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 150 g Self raising flour
- 50 g Plain flour
- 1 tbsp Milk
- 1 tsp Flavoring, such as orange or lemon or vanilla
- Zest of whole Orange or Lemon (for orange or lemon flavored madeira cake)
Instructions
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Rub butter in the cake pan and line with baking paper/parchment paper. Set pan aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add in butter and sugar then use mixer to mix till batter is light and fluffy. Break eggs in a seperate bowl and then whisk.
- Add milk, lemon or orange or vanilla flavouring to the eggs and whisk. Add the whisked eggs in the butter and sugar mixture and mix with the mixer for few minutes.
- Add flour in the batter and mix with spatula. Fold in till incorporated.
- Pour cake batter in lined cake pan and place in pre heated oven. Bake at temperature of 170C for 45 minutes or till cake tester comes out clean.
- Turn cake onto cooling rack and leave to cool.
Notes
For an 8″ round Madeira cake, double this recipe.
Remember to preheat the oven before putting the cake batter in the oven. If using a conventional oven, preheat at a temperature of 170C/ gas mark 3 and for fan oven it’s 150-160C.
Put cake pans and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for best heat distribution.
Fold the flour in with a spatula (as recommended in the directions) rather than using a hand mixer.
Don’t overmix batter once the flour has gone in or you might end up with dense cake.
Put the batter in the oven immediately.
Do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes while the cake is baking. This might cause the cake to sink in the middle. You can open towards the end of baking time to check for doneness.
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