Some people think that this cake is a bit plain and a bit boring. But for some reason, it remains popular and I love it! It always sells really well at our church fairs. If you make it carefully, it shouldn’t be dry, which some Madeira cakes can be.
Did you know that it takes its name from Madeira wine? Apparently the Victorians used to eat it with Madeira wine in the afternoon. I much prefer it with tea!
Ingredients:
175g baking margarine
175g white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200g self raising flour
50g ground almonds
zest of one lemon.
A traditional Madeira cake has a tighter, more dense sponge than other cakes, as it has a higher flour content, which is why it is sometimes dry. To counteract this, make sure that you whisk it well at each stage and add the flour in stages, making sure that you mix it in well before you add more flour.
If you mix it well and don’t over bake it, you will have a delicious soft sponge, which is a lovely light yellow colour, surrounded by a darker crust.
Start by pre-heating the oven to 160 degrees/150 degrees fan. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Mix the margarine and sugar together, until the mix is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one a time, mixing each one thoroughly. Then add the lemon zest, vanilla essence and the ground almonds and mix well. Finally, add the flour one spoonful at a time and mix well, to make sure all the flour is properly combined.
Bake for 50 - 55 minutes. All ovens are different, so check your cake after 50 minutes. It will be ready when a skewer comes out clean. Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes and then take it out and allow it to finish cooling down on a wire rack. It should keep well in an air tight tin for 5 days.
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