\nLightly flavored with lemon and topped with candied lemon slices, this classic\u00a0English\u00a0Madeira Cake is the easiest dessert\u00a0you will ever make.<\/p>\n
I have a new obsession: The Great British Bake Off.
\nI know I\u2019m late to the party here\u2026 later than I thought actually. I assumed the most recent season was Season 3, but apparently what I\u2019m watching is season 6!\u00a0Where have I been for 6 years?! So much to catch up on!!
\nUgh, I hope I can find the older seasons somewhere. I actually caught the last episode of season 4 (what I thought was season 2) a couple\u00a0months ago and have been hooked ever since.
\nKicking myself for missing\u00a0out on all of those\u00a0seasons.<\/p>\n
The Ultimate Cake Collection<\/p>\n
Over 50 of my very favorite cake recipes all in one place! From Classic Cakes to Holiday favorites and everything in between.
\nGet your copy today!<\/p>\n
I know Season 6 is technically over, but it just started a few\u00a0weeks ago here in Canada and I\u2019ve been happily engrossed in it ever since.
\nThere\u2019s something about British TV shows that\u2019s\u00a0just better than\u00a0ones in the US and Canada. They have a certain feel to them and a higher quality (in my opinion). The Great British Bake Off is no exception\u2026.the\u00a0US version\u00a0totally tanked and I, myself, couldn\u2019t even get through one episode. SO BAD.
\nI think the appeal of the British version is that the contestants are really relatable. They are not professionals, by any means, and there\u2019s just a genuine quality about them. Plus the hosts and judges are the BEST. Sue Perkins is my fave. Hilarious!
\nI\u2019m also loving the fact that in watching this show I\u2019m being\u00a0exposed to baked goods I\u2019ve never even heard of \u2014 like this classic Madeira Cake.<\/p>\n
According to Mary Berry, a\u00a0Madeira Cake is a close textured plain cake that is signified by a dome and a crack on the top. Traditionally it is lemon in flavor and has some sort of candied lemon garnish.
\nI didn\u2019t stray away from the traditional version as I wanted to try it in its classic form. After all, Mary did say that you can\u2019t beat the classic. It is really simple to make. In fact, I think it might be the easiest cake I\u2019ve ever made.<\/p>\n
Cake Tip! <\/p>\n
Not a lemon fan? Try it with any other citrus instead using the same amounts.<\/p>\n
Naturally, this was attempt #2 at this cake \u2014 #1 was an epic fail. Since all of the traditional recipes are British, I had a bit of hard time figuring out ratios and amounts from grams to cups, but mostly converting from self-raising flour to all-purpose.
\nUnfortunately my first cake, as delicious as it was, completely sank in the middle due to too much baking powder. My sources steered me wrong!<\/p>\n
The info I found was to add 2 tsps of baking powder per cup of all-purpose flour to make self-raising flour. This seemed like a lot (based on my experience) but, against my better judgment, I went with 4 tsps per my 2 1\/2 cups in the recipe, but it was still way too much.
\nI ended up going with 1 tsp of baking powder per cup (which is standard) and it worked perfectly.<\/p>\n
Candied Lemon Slices
\nThe candied lemon slices were very easy to make. The key is to slice them very thin (1\/8\u2033 thick) then you simmer them in a sugary simple syrup until they are candied. And yes, you can totally eat the rind! It softens in the syrup and is delicious.
\nMy Madeira Cake didn\u2019t dome quite as much as I had hoped, there\u2019s just a slight hump in there, but I\u2019m happy with it. It did crack though! Pretty perfect if I do say so myself.<\/p>\n
This Madeira Cake is perfect for afternoon tea. Or breakfast, I don\u2019t judge.
\nIt\u2019s simple and delicious. Really, is there anything better than that?? I recommend microwaving pieces for about 20 seconds before eating for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. I\u2019ll be making this one again for sure!
\nLooking for more Lemon recipes?<\/p>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/p>\n
How can I convert this recipe?<\/p>\n
To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time \u2014 start checking at 15mins or so. The recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes depending on size.
\nFor other conversions go\u00a0here. Bake time may vary depending on pan size.
\nBaking time will vary if you change the pan size. Every oven is different so I can\u2019t say for certain what you\u2019ll need to adjust it to. Be sure to check on the cakes while they are baking.<\/p>\n
Can I make it in advance?<\/p>\n
The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before serving.
\nThe candied lemon slices can be stores at room temperature for a couple days.<\/p>\n
Can I get the measurements by weight\/grams?<\/p>\n
There is a Metric option in the recipe card. If you click it it will convert everything to grams.
\nThis conversion is done automatically and I cannot guarantee the accuracy but many readers have had success using the metric option on my recipes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tips for making this Madeira Cake<\/p>\n
You can replace caster sugar with granulated sugar if you can\u2019t find any.
\nMake sure your 8\u2033 pan is at least 3\u2033 tall or the cake may overflow.Be sure to slice your lemons thin and even for best results and prettiest presentation.
\nThe leftover syrup from the candied lemon slices can be used to drizzle over the cake or you can save it and refrigerate it to add it to iced tea or other beverages.
\nI prepare my cake pans using\u00a0Homemade Cake Release\u00a0and line with parchment paper.
\nTo help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my\u00a0How to Bake Flat Cakes\u00a0post!<\/p>\n
Classic Madeira Cake<\/p>\n
This classic English Madeira Cake is the easiest dessert you will ever make. Lightly flavored with lemon and topped with candied lemon slices.<\/p>\n
Course DessertCuisine British<\/p>\n
Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 1 hour hourTotal Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes<\/p>\n
Servings 10 servings
\nCalories 537kcal<\/p>\n
Ingredients\u00a0US CustomaryMetric\u00a01x2x3x
\nInstructions\u00a0Madeira Cake:Preheat oven to 325F (170C). Grease and flour a deep* 8\u2033 round cake pan, line with parchment.In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder. Set aside.Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins). Add eggs one at a time along with one tablespoon of flour mixture for each egg. Fully incorporate after each addition.Gently fold in flour mixture, then lemon juice.Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.Candied Lemon Slices:Place sugar and water in a large, shallow, saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until dissolved. Gently lay the lemon slices in a single layer in the saucepan. Simmer for 15mins, turning over half way through. Carefully remove slices from pan, dripping off excess syrup, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.** Allow to dry at room temperature. Dip in granulated sugar if desired.<\/p>\n
Notes* Make sure your pan is at least 3\u2033 deep.** The cooled lemon syrup can be drizzled over cake or used in various beverages. I used mine in homemade iced tea.
\nMadeira Cake recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson.Candied Lemon recipe from Our Best Bites<\/p>\n
Calories: 537kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 1gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 650IUVitamin C: 11.5mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 2mg
\nThe nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favorite nutrition calculator and\/or metric conversion tool.<\/p>\n
This recipe was originally published Aug 21, 2016 and has been updated with new content on January 19th, 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lightly flavored with lemon and topped with candied lemon slices, this classic\u00a0English\u00a0Madeira Cake is the easiest dessert\u00a0you will ever make. I have a new obsession: The Great British Bake Off. I know I\u2019m late to the party here\u2026 later than I thought actually. I assumed the most recent season was Season 3, but apparently what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cakes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}