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Madeira cake

Madeira cake on white floral plate, a slice of cake on small plate with silver knife and cup of tea with slice of lemon. White flowers. For Madeira cake recipe.

The reference to the island of Madeira is to the custom of drinking Madeira wine with this particularly moist cake.  The cake does not originate in Madeira and was most likely invented in Britain after the introduction of baking powder in the 1840s.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • 900g loaf tin
  • Baking paper
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Electric hand whisk
  • Kitchen foil
  • Skewer
  • Cooling rack

Preparation method

  • Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas 3.
  • Grease and line the loaf tin with baking paper.
  • Place the butter and sugar in the large mixing bowl and beat together with the electric hand whisk until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with the hand whisk between each addition.
  • Add the lemon zest and vanilla and stir in thoroughly.
  • Sift the flour into the batter and fold in.
  • Add the ground almonds and stir in thoroughly.
  • Transfer the cake mix into the loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Check after half an hour to make sure the top of the cake isn’t getting too brown (it should be golden). If it is, place a piece of kitchen foil over the top.
  • Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the tin, peel off the baking paper and place on the cooling rack until completely cooled.

Note: I tend to prefer to use a hand-held electric whisk when making cakes so the recipes refer to this, but you may prefer to use a stand mixer.  Just use the beater for mixing cake batters and the whisk for egg whites and cream.
For tips on and advice see my guide on making cakes.
More sponge cakes
Beltane cake
Portugal cakes
Pound cake
Seed cake
Victoria sandwich cake
Yule log
 

Victorian

Serves:
10
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 175 g butter, softened
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • Grated zest of an unwaxed lemon
  • 3 drops vanilla extracts
  • 200 g self-raising flour
  • 50 g ground almonds

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Madeira cake
Serving Size
 
74 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
312
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
9.4
g
59
%
Cholesterol
 
87
mg
29
%
Sodium
 
34
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
23
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
34
g
11
%
Fiber
 
0.7
g
3
%
Sugar
 
18
g
20
%
Protein
 
5.5
g
11
%
Calcium
 
22
mg
2
%
Iron
 
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Ground almonds, Lemon

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace