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Madeira loaf cake on a wooden serving board.
cookingwithmykids

Madeira cake

Madeira cake is a classic British sponge cake. Gently flavoured with lemon and almonds it's perfect served with a cup of tea.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Afternoon tea
Cuisine: British
Calories: 412
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 175 g (¾ cup) butter
  • 175 g (¾ cup) golden caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • zest of 1 lemon or orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 200 g (1 ¼ cup) self raising flour
  • 50 g (½ cup) ground almonds
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons (40ml) whole milk

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Freestanding mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 2 lb loaf tin
  • Wire rack

Method
 

Preheat your oven to 170C / 150C Fan / 340F and grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking or greaseproof paper.
    Cream the butter and sugar together
    1. Measure out the butter and the sugar and add them to a large mixing bowl or a free-standing mixer.
      Using hand held mixers, the k-paddle of your mixer or even wooden spoons, beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until they are light and fluffy.
    Add the eggs
    1. Add the eggs, one at a time, to your mixing bowl. Mix them in, in between each addition. Your mixture will be quite sloppy at this point.
    Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract
    1. Zest the lemon. Add that along with the vanilla to your mixing bowl.
      Mix them both in.
    Add the flour and almonds
    1. Measure out the flour ground almonds and add them to your mixing bowl. Gently mix them in until they have just combined. Try not to over mix it.
    2. If you find the batter too thick at this point, add 2-3 tablespoons of milk. You want the cake batter to be runny enough to fall of your spatula or beater.
    Bake the Madeira cake
    1. Spoon or pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and spread it into each corner with a spatula, the back of a spoon or a small palette knife.
    2. Bake the Madeira loaf for 50-60 minutes It's ready when a skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
      If you find the top of the loaf is browning too much before it is ready, loosely cover it in foil for the last 10 minutes or so while it finishes baking.
    3. Remove the Madeira loaf from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out and leave it on a wire rack to cool completely .

    Notes

    If you don't have self raising flour, swap it for an equal amount of plain/all-purpose flour and add 1 tsp of baking powder.