Madeira Cake - Celebration / Party Cake
Try and use un-waxed lemons and free range fresh eggs to get the wonderful natural yellow colour from this slightly zesty, soft crumbly cake. Adding Madeira gives it an extra richness.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Quantity: Serves 10 - 12 Cooking time: 1 - 1&1/4 hours
Ingredients
225g / 8 oz butter - softened
225g / 8 oz caster sugar or light brown sugar
1 lemon - zest / grated rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs - medium / large
30 ml / 2 tablespoons Madera or sherry (optional)
225g / 8 oz plain flour - sieved twice with baking powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
Extra - 30 ml Madera or sherry - optional
Method
- Cream the butter and the sugar together until soft, lighter and creamy
- Add the eggs 1/2 at a time beating between each addition
- Add the Madeira - optional
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and zest stirring gently until just mixed
- Spoon in to a greased 2lb loaf tin
- Bake in a preheated oven gas 4 / 170*c / 330*f - for 1 - 1 and 1/4 hours or until a knife comes out of the middle clean
- Cool slightly in the tin
- For an added touch pour on an extra measure of Madeira or sherry
- Turn out on to a wire rack until cool
More info - A 2 lb loaf tin can be replaced with a 8 - 9 inch ( 20 - 23 cm) square or round loose bottomed cake tin.
To accommodate a 12 inch ( 30 cm) cake tin multiply the recipe by approximately a 1/3 - 1/2 depending on depth.
For a 16 - 18 inch ( 42 - 48 cm ) simply double the ingredients.
If you have any excess batter just make some currant buns - yum!
For bigger cakes a longer cooking time is required, I might even slightly increase the oven temperature for the first 30 - 40 minutes.