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Madeira cake

Published: Updated:

33 Reviews

Total Time
55m
Prep Time
25m
Bake Time
30m
Serves 1
Serves 1
easy
Easy

About the bake

Looking for a tasty and versatile sponge recipe? This madeira cake recipe is the one for you. The ideal type of sponge for tiered cakes, as the sponge is strong enough to keep the cake sturdy when stacked. 

Decorate with fondant for a birthday celebration or special occasion or alternatively enjoy plain with a cup of tea.

Click through our photos for step by step images on how to decorate. 

13 ingredients9 steps

    Method

    1. Step 1

      Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F, gas mark 6). Grease a 7" circular sandwich cake tin.

    2. Step 2

      In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs.

    3. Step 3

      Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the mix to make a soft mixture, add in the vanilla extract and gradually add the milk.

    4. Step 4

      Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

    5. Step 5

      Once cooled, trim the top of the cake sponges to make them flat

    6. Step 6

      To make the buttercream beat together the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract until light and fluffy 

    7. Step 7

      Spread a layer of buttercream on top of one of the sponges, then spread over the jam. Place the second sponge on top and spread the remaining buttercream around the top and edges of the cake, completely coating the cake in buttercream. 

    8. Step 8

      Knead the fondant for a minute or two to soften, then lightly dust a surface and rolling pin with icing sugar and roll out the fondant into a circular shape large enough to cover the top of the cake and sides. 

    9. Step 9

      Using your rolling pin gently lift the fondant on top of the cake and smooth down the top and sides with your hands or a smoothing tool. Trim the excess fondant with a small sharp knife and neaten the edges. 

    Ingredients

      • 300gButter (unsalted) (softened) 
      • 300gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar 
      • 6Egg(s) (free range) (beaten) 
      • 1 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 
      • 350gAllinson's Self Raising Flour 
      • 2 tspBaking powder 
      • 60mlMilk (whole) 
    • For the filling

      • 3 tbspJam 
    • For the buttercream

      • 150gUnsalted butter (softened) 
      • 400gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar 
      • 20mlMilk 
      • 1 tspNielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract 
    • For the decoration

      • 500gWhite fondant icing 

    Nutritional information per 175g serving

    • Energy 843cal
    • Fat 37g
    • of which Saturates 22g
    • Carbohydrates 121g
    • of which Sugars 98g
    • Protein 6.5g
    • Salt 0.62g

    33 Baker Ratings

    Great taste… but needs to specify a deep tin or to cook in two tins as mine exploded over the top.

    Love this?

    The method is confusing, it says you need one tin but at the end it says trim the sponges which indicates you’ve made 2 which would be right for this cake? My question is, does this recipe make enough for two 7’ tins or just one?

    Baking Mad

    Apologies for the confusion, this recipe is for one 7" cake tin that is halved to make a sandwich cake once baked. 

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