Incredibly easy Madeira Cake! A classic British cake flavored with lemon and made in a loaf tin with simple ingredients. It has a super soft, light texture and zesty, lemony flavor and is perfect for breakfast or afternoon tea!
Madeira Cake
I start by creaming the butter and sugar, mixing in the wet ingredients, folding in the dry ingredients, and finally baking. Ta-da, Your cake is ready!
I prefer to flavor my lemon Madeira Cake with fresh lemon juice and zest for better results. I also like to line my loaf tin with parchment paper to take the cake out easily.
The equipment I used is a 2lb loaf tin, an electric whisk, a mixing bowl and a kitchen scale, which I highly recommend using in any baking recipe; it is WAY more accurate than the measuring cups and gives better results.
My lemon Madeira Cake recipe is SO simple, rich and delicious! And above all, my family LOVE it!
Why I Love This Recipe
- This recipe is freezer-friendly.
- Similar to pound cake, Madeira cake has a rich and dense texture.
- It is made with pantry staple ingredients.
- Simple and delicious.
- A great treat for a special occasion.
Ingredients
“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”
Flour. I use self-rising flour for a soft and fluffy texture.
Ground Almond. With the presence of ground almonds in your cake batter, the loaf cake will become denser, moister and slightly crumblier. However, you may just use all-purpose flour instead.
Lemon Juice and Zest. I like to flavor the loaf cake with lemon juice and zest.
Butter. It gives the cake a light and moist texture.
Caster Sugar. A fine granulated sugar that is easy to dissolve and sweeten the loaf cake.
Eggs. I use 3 large eggs. Eggs allow the batter to rise as well.
Vanilla Extract. For extra flavor.
How to Make Madeira Cake?
One: Preheat your oven to 170°c / 340°f and line a 2 lb loaf tin tin with baking paper.
Two: In a mixing bowl, mix together butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy.
Three: Whisk in eggs one by one, and add in the vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice.
Four: Now, fold in the flour, ground almond, and mix until combined.
Five: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes.
Six: Allow it to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing it from the tin.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Madeira cake: Do you love the chocolate flavor in cakes? Consider adding cocoa powder to your cake batter to create a chocolate version of this Madeira loaf cake!
- Orange Madeira cake: Replace lemon with orange.
- Top your cake with icing sugar or Candied Lemon Slices.
Serving Suggestions
Aside from tea and coffee, I like to serve this cake with Medjool Date Shake or Korean Strawberry Milk.
I also like to slather a slice of your cake with the thick and creamy Greek Yogurt and sweet honey and top it with crushed almonds for breakfast.
Storage
I store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or 4-5 days in the fridge.
To freeze this cake, I allow it to cool completely, then slice it and wrap the slices individually in parchment paper and put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 1-2 months. This way, I can only grab a slice or two and defrost at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
No, Madeira cake has a denser texture and is usually flavoured with lemon or orange, while the taste of sponge cake is generally plain, and the texture is lighter and fluffier.
You may be confused about why Madeira loaf cake is called Madeira loaf cake if it did not originate in Madeira Portugal. Well, back in the days, before England served it with tea, people would usually pair the said loaf cake with Madeira wine.
Easy Loaf Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake With Sour Cream
- Chocolate Banana Bread
- Coffee Loaf Cake
- Chocolate Chips Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Drizzle Muffins
- Lemon Crunch Cake
I hope you like today's recipe! Follow Healthy Life Trainer on Facebook and Pinterest to keep up-to-date with all new recipes. Also, you can subscribe to my Newsletter to recipe all the latest recipes once published.
Recipe Card
Easy Madeira Cake
Equipment
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 175 G caster sugar
- 175 G Butter , softened
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Lemon zest
- Juice of half a lemon
- 200 G Self-rising flour
- 50 G Ground almond
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170c / 340f, and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy.175 G Butter, 175 G caster sugar
- Whisk in eggs one by one, and add in the vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice.3 Large Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 Lemon zest, Juice of half a lemon
- Now, fold in the flour, ground almond, and mix until combined.200 G Self-rising flour, 50 G Ground almond
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 50-55 minutes.
- Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the tin.
Bonnie
I used vegetable oil instead of butter, and the cake was perfect.
Alexis
I liked how simple and delicious this is; I added some nuts for a crunchy texture.
Diana
The recipe is so easy to follow. Thanks I loved it!
Isabella
Perfect for my breakfast with a cup of tea.
Eva
I love it; however, I usually make it with orange.