Читать книгу The British Baking Book - Regula Ysewijn - Страница 41

Madeira cake

Serve with a cup of Earl Grey tea or a glass of Madeira, sherry, or port.

Variation: In the past, fine pieces of cedro (see page 19) were used in this

recipe. For a tasty twist, add ¹⁄

³

cup (50 g) of candied cedro to the batter.

44

For 6–8 people

¾ cup (175 g) butter, at room

temperature

¾ cup (175 g) superfine sugar

3 eggs

2 cups (250 g) plain white flour

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp baking powder

1–2 thin slices of candied lemon or

lemon zest

butter, for greasing

flour, for dusting

candied fruits, to garnish

For a 7-to 8-inch round cake tin

Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare the cake tin (see page 21).

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a

time, and make sure that each egg is completely incorporated before adding the

next one. Add a teaspoon of the flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture

from separating. Stir in the lemon zest.

Carefully fold the remaining flour and the baking powder into the batter so that

the volume is retained. Stir in the candied lemon. Spoon the batter into the cake

tin and smooth the top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30–40 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and let

cool on a wire rack. You can decorate the cake with candied fruits to give it a

wonderful retro appearance.

This cake is named after Madeira wine, a fortified wine from Madeira in Portugal that became popular in England

in the mid-19th century. The wine was served to be enjoyed with the cake, just as vin santo is served with biscotti in

Tuscany. One of the earliest recipes was that of Eliza Acton in her 1845 book Modern Cookery for Private Families.

Madeira cake still often appears on the table, although today it is served with a steaming cup of tea rather than a glass

of Madeira wine.