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Madeira Cake

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Madeira Cake

This cake improves with time, so can be made in advance. It also freezes well.

Preparation time:
15 minutes
Cooking time:
1 hour plus cooling
Total time:
75 minutes, plus cooling 60 minutes 15 minutes
Serves:
 8

Ingredients

  • 170g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 170g caster sugar, plus extra to serve
  • Finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 eggs
  • 170g plain flour, sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 50g chopped candied peel (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Butter a 225g non-stick loaf tin (about 12 x 20cm) or a 20cm-diameter round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
  2. Put the butter, sugar, orange and lemon zest in a food processor and whiz until fluffy. Still beating, add one egg at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the lemon juice, then the flour, salt and baking powder, followed by the chopped candied peel, if using. Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about an hour or until golden and springy. If the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil but remember to remove it shortly before the end of cooking. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
  3. Put the cake tin on a wire rack and leave for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the tin and sprinkle generously with caster sugar. Leave to cool. Madeira cake tastes best if not eaten on the day of cooking, so when cold, tightly wrap in foil and leave for a day or two.

Comments and images

Average user rating 4 stars out of 5

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britbarbara

britbarbara 23 March 2009 12:18

this cake is simplicity itself to make and tastes delicious.

karen saywood

karen saywood 05 August 2008 13:51

Wow! This is the very best cake I have ever made! Moist, perfect colour, taste that has been commented on by strangers as well as family as being 'delicious'. Thanks, I feel really boosted and rather more confident to tackle other cakes.

golas

golas 04 June 2008 15:28

This cake is lovely. Came out of the oven after 70 minutes on a shelf about two thirds down, so it did not burn, just browned beautifully. Smells like heaven. Highly recommend it. Going to use it for an ice cream tiramisu....Tanx to the recipe creator.....(",)**

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4 stars out of 5

Average user rating Based on 333 ratings

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This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in September 2003