The Madeira Cake Recipe In this simple cake, the flavors of lemon and butter shine through.
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| Madeira Cake Recipe |
Ingredients
12 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter the cake pan and dust with flour.
2 Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer or with an electric hand mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing very well between additions.
3 Whisk for 2 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest. Mix in the flour mixture and zest on low until just smooth.
4 Spoon into the pan. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until a thin skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan for a couple of minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool. STORE The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.
BAKER’S TIP
The secret to a good, light Victoria spongestyle cake is to ensure that as little air as possible is lost during the stage when the flour is added. For an even lighter finish, substitute margarine; the higher water content seems to bake air into the cake, though butter gives a richer flavor.
