Ron's Madeira Cake
Madeira Cake Recipe
The Lineup
- 150g butter, properly softened (no, a rock-hard block from the fridge will not "cream")
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, beaten (give them a good talking-to first)
- 115g self-raising flour
- 115g plain flour (because commitment issues exist even in baking)
- A splash of milk (just enough to make it relax)
- 3 thin slivers of candied peel (for that "I am a serious historical baker" aesthetic)
The Broadcast Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Line an 18cm round cake tin with baking paper like you're wrapping a very fragile, buttery present.
- Attack the dairy. Cream your butter, sugar, and vanilla together until it’s light, fluffy, and looks like something you shouldn't eat raw but definitely will.
- The slow descent. Gradually add your beaten eggs and a single, tactical spoonful of flour. Beat it well. If you dump all the eggs in at once, the batter will curdle, panic, and ruin your morning.
- Fold and loosen. Stir in the remaining flour and a tiny splash of milk until you hit a "soft dropping consistency"—meaning, if you scoop it up, it should reluctantly fall off the spoon like a teenager getting out of bed.
- The half-hour alarm. Spoon it into the tin and chuck it in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes total. But set a timer for 30 minutes. At the half-hour mark, gently open the door and slap those 3 pieces of candied peel right on top. If you put them on at the start, they will sink to the bottom like anchor stones.
- Cool and pour. Let it cool on a wire rack. Slice it up, and—in true 19th-century style—pour yourself a glass of wine to match. You've earned it.
