Baking: Madeira Loaf

Delia describes it as the “plain Jane of cakes”, so I thought it apt that I should bake this. Mind you it is one of my favourites so I didn’t take much persuading. I have fond memories of always asking for a Madeira cake as my Birthday Cake when I was wee. Usually they had a layer of buttercream frosting and jam in the middle.  However today I am making a basic Madeira Loaf

Nowadays I like it with a cheeky glass of Madeira Wine, it sets the taste of the loaf off quite beautifully.

You will need:
175 g butter, at room temperature
110 g golden caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
225 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2-3 tbsp milk
1 lemon, zest only

Method:
(1) Preheat your oven to 150 °C (fan assisted) and butter your loaf tin

(2) Cream together the butter, eggs, sugar and grated zest

(3) In a separate bowl sift the flour, salt and baking powder

(4) Gradually add your flour mix to the creamed mix and mix in well

(5) Add the milk, a tablespoon at a time.   You need enough to make a creamy consistency that drops off a spoon easily when tapped on the side of the bowl, don’t add too much as it will change the loaf.

(6)  Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and level it off with the back of a tablespoon

(7) Bake on a lower shelf for1 hour or until it feels springy in the centre. Check by sticking a skewer in the centre of one of the cake and making sure it comes out clean

(8) Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool

(9) Enjoy!