For my Dad’s birthday we (Angelique and myself of course) decided to make one of his favourite cakes – Cherry Madeira Cake. It was the cake that his gran (my great gran), Mummy Doreen, used to make for him for his birthday every year while she was still alive.
I can say that he was suitable impressed, it was not her original recipe but he said it was as good as he remembered it!
My top tips for making this delicious cake:
- You can leave the cherries out if you want a plain Madeira cake
- If you use cherries be sure to dust them with flour first, Mummy Doreen always swore that is what prevented them from all sinking to the bottom
- If you want a slightly different taste, just a different citrus zest, such as orange
- Lastly it is best enjoyed warm and fresh – but it keeps well in an airtight container for a few days
Hope that you enjoy this delicious family favourite treat!
Cherry Madeira Cake
My dad, Graham, enjoying a beer on his birthday!
cherry madeira cake
Ingredients
- 175 g butter, room temperature
- 175 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 2 - 3 tbsp milk
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 200 - 230 g glacé cherries
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 29 cm bread tin, line the base with baking paper and grease the paper.
- Prepare the cherries, by patting them dry with roller towel if they are dripping with syrup. Slice them into halves/quarters and dust in flour.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture well between each one and adding a tablespoon of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling.
- Sift the flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon, with enough milk to give a mixture that falls slowly from the spoon. Fold in 2/3 of the cherries and the lemon zest.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and lightly level the top. Then sprinkle over the remaining cherries and poke them just under the surface with a teaspoon and smooth over the batter.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 - 40 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a cake tester/skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Sever & enjoy!
Sliced Cherry Madeira Cake
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