Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Madeira Cake

Madeira Cake is an English standard - an afternoon tea isn't really the same without it. At it's most basic it's a mix of flour, almond meal, eggs, butter and sugar - the almond meal giving it a more unusual texture, it's dense but extremely moist.

Since I'm on a bit of a lime kick and this will make a perfect partner to my lime curd, I've added lime juice and zest to the basic recipe.

cake

Madeira Cake
[Makes 1]

180 grams self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
100 grams almond meal (ground almonds)
180 grams caster sugar
180 grams softened butter, cut into small cubes
3 eggs, lightly whisked
1 lime, zest and juiced

Butter and flour a loaf pan or square pan - line the base with baking paper.

Sift the self-raising flour with the baking powder and add to the bowl of a mixer along with the almond meal and caster sugar. Give this a stir to combine then add the very soft butter, eggs, lime zest and juice. Beat until the mixture comes together and is well amalgamated.

If the mix seems a bit too hard then add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time. Variations occur due to differences in egg sizes and the absorbency of the flour. It needs to have a drop-able consistency.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and then place in a preheated 160°C/325°F for about 1 hour or until cooked through. If you find it's browning too quickly, just cover with foil.

Cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before turning out to a rack.

cake

Simple to make and wonderfully buttery, it's a pleasure to eat as is. For something a little more decadent just smother a slice with a good spoonful of lime curd.

cake and curd

Tagged with

18 comments

  1. Haalo - the shape of your Madeira cake is really beautiful - I like the indention along the edges. And yes, lime curd sounds like a perfect match!

    ReplyDelete
  2. haalo - if you dont stop doing all these killer recipes with lime curd (or things that just go wonderfully with it) i will look like a whale in my bikinis this summer. i love madeira cake! and i am sure its even better with some lime curd. looks like i need to make another jar.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love Madeira cake, Haalo!

    I've only baked it once, but it was delicious. I had many recipes at home but went for a Donna Hay's recipe because of the addition of almond meal.

    Your cake looks spectacular - the color is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I got lost in your luscious photo of the slice of Madeira cake, bountifully slathered with homemade lime curd. Isn’t there a gustatory terrorism law against luring unsuspecting cake and curd-o-philes into taking a bite out of their computer monitors?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Almost enough to make you want to move to England, eh? A nice slice of cake, a cup of tea and a glass of Madeira tucked out of sight of your mother.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This cake is so beautiful. I think the addition of lime in the cake is an excellent idea. I will remember to get some limes to make your lime curd, too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The only time I had Madeira cake was long ago and I remember not liking it. However, your gorgeous photos have changed my mind, and this is now added to my ever-growing must-bake list.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't think I've ever had Madeira Cake -- but this is absolutely gorgeous and may be just the inspiration I need to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. And there is no Madeira in Madeira Cake? Do you know why? Was it made to compliment the drink?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh my! This looks fabulous. I love recipes with almond meal. It offers a wonderful distinctness in the final product. This will be a great addition to a Sunday brunch!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks Pille - you can even toast this if there's any left after a couple of days ;)

    Oh Myriam, it might be best if I don't tell you my other plans involving limes, I don't know if you will survive. I will do something savoury to restore the balance ;)

    Thanks Patricia - I've always thought that almond meal was the difference between this and a pound cake but having done a bit of research I think it's something that's developed over time.

    Jay - just promise not to report me to the relevant gastronimic authorities. I am armed with jars of lime curd and I'm not afraid to use them ;)

    Almost Trig but if I was to leave the "best country in the world®" Italy would be my destination.

    Thanks Anh - lime curd for easter would be a lovely treat.

    Thanks Mercedes - I hope you give the cake a second chance.

    Thanks CC - you should try it at least once!

    TW - Your question had me searching the old cookbooks and while Mrs Beeton seems to predate it I did find it in the Book of Cakes from 1903 and it is basically a pound cake with "a few spots of madeira extract".

    The recipe to make one cake uses 2 lbs buter, 2¼ lbs sugar, 23 large eggs and 2½ lbs flour!

    Thanks Chris - it's a perfect idea for brunch, it's not too heavy and stays wonderfully moist and you'll have room for a second slice ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Haalo, while I was seeking dinner ideas for a couple of guests tomorrow I stubled on your site. Even though I have more than enough cook books at home I still look for visual stimulation and inspiration. I am not a sycophant when I extol your patisserie talents. Forgive me but I am going to use your Madeira cake recipe, add amoretto, and serve it with a cup of white peach tea. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. gorgeous - another use for leftovers as if there would be such a thing = English Trifle!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks Sam, I'd totally forgotten about trifle!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm a novice, so am wondering how you would adapt the English measurements for American ones. Could you translate this recipe into an American one with ounces instead of grams, please? Thanks,
    M. Forest

    ReplyDelete
  16. M Forest - conversion is as simple as doing a google search - for example, you want to find out what 100 grams is in ounces - type "100 grams in ounces" into google and press search.

    The first result is the google calculator which tells you the exact result, in this case 3.5 ounces.

    A teaspoon is the same size in both american and australian systems however an Australian Tablespoon = 4 teaspoons.

    I do not offer cup measures as they are too inaccurate.

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousMay 13, 2009

    yummy!!!! i'd like to make a bigger, round version for my sons birthday cake if i doubled the ingredients should i double the cooking time too?
    Thanks. Andie

    ReplyDelete
  18. You wouldn't necessarily have to double the time - it would also depend on the size of the tin and how deep or shallow it is. Best advice is to watch and see how the cake behaves.

    ReplyDelete

© Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once | All rights reserved.
BLOG TEMPLATE HANDCRAFTED BY pipdig