Madeira Cake
Cuisine: British
Madeira Cake is a classic British madeira loaf: a firm, lemon-scented butter sponge traditionally served with Madeira wine, though the cake itself has no wine in the batter. Cream butter and sugar well, fold flour gently, and bake until a skewer comes out clean. A candied citrus peel on top is optional but traditional.
At a glance
Time: about 1.5 hours · 8–10 slices · Difficulty: easy · ≈ 280 kcal per slice
Madeira Cake is a classic British madeira loaf: a firm, lemon-scented butter sponge traditionally served with Madeira wine, though the cake itself has no wine in the batter. Cream butter and sugar well, fold flour gently, and bake until a skewer comes out clean. A candied citrus peel on top is optional but traditional.
Tutorial
Ingredients
- 175g Butter
- 175g Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 250g Self-raising Flour
- 3 tbs Milk
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- To Glaze Mixed Peel
Steps
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease an 18cm/7in round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture curdling.
- Sift the flour and gently fold in, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in the lemon zest.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- To serve, decorate the cake with the candied peel.
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Time and temperature
Oven: 170 C / 340 F · 50–70 min depending on tin · cool in tin briefly
Nutrition
280 kcal · Protein 5 g · Fat 14 g · Carbs 34 g
1 slice (estimate)
Substitutes
- Lemon zest → orange zest
- Self-raising → plain + baking powder
- Caster sugar → superfine
- Candied peel garnish optional
Storage
Tin 4–5 days. Freezes well wrapped up to 2 months.
FAQ
- Does it contain Madeira wine?
- Usually not in the batter. British madeira loaf is named for the wine served alongside.
- Why did it sink?
- Underbaked or opened oven early. Bake Madeira Cake until fully set.
- Can I ice it?
- Traditionally plain or with peel; a light lemon icing is a modern option.
- Loaf or round tin?
- Loaf is common; adjust time for deeper tins.