An easy Madeira cake recipe made in a loaf tin! A simple and classic British bake that's perfect with a cup of tea.
Made with everyday pantry staples, Madeira cake is my go-to cake when I need something sweet!
Much like US pound cakes, Maderia cakes have a moist, dense texture, and despite being a simple bake, there is nothing quite as comforting when you need a little pick-me-up!
It makes the perfect after-school snack too! My kids love thick slices smothered in homemade lemon curd or Nutella, with a glass of milk or hot chocolate.
👩🍳 Love cake? Try my easy lardy cake recipe next!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the easiest and best Madeira cake recipe!
- Plain and simple cake.
- Made in a loaf tin.
- Delicious with a cup of tea.
- Make traditional sherry trifles with leftover cake.
- Freezer-friendly.
What is Madeira cake?
It's a simple cake that is traditionally flavoured with lemon zest, although other citrus fruits can also be used. Madeira cake is known for its dense yet light texture, and its buttery, slightly sweet flavour. It's also signified by a dome and a crack on the top.
Madeira cake has been popular here in the UK since the 19th century, and it is often enjoyed as a tea-time treat or used as a base for other desserts such as trifle. The cake is typically baked in a loaf tin, and it can be served plain or with a dusting of icing sugar.
🛒 Ingredient notes
What you'll need to make this simple Madeira loaf cake!
- Butter - unsalted and softened so it is easy to cream with the sugar.
- Sugar - I use golden caster sugar but white caster sugar can be used too.
- Eggs - 3 large free-range eggs at room temperature.
- Lemon - you'll need the zest of the whole lemon and juice from half.
- Vanilla Extract - use a good quality extract and not vanilla essence.
- Flour - a combination of self-raising flour and plain flour gives the best-textured cake (a tip I learned from the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson).
🔪 How to make Madeira cake
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.
Two: Beat in the eggs one by one to prevent the mixture from curdling, and mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Three: Fold in the flour and mix until you have a thick smooth batter.
Four: Pour the batter into your prepared 2lb loaf tin and bake for 55 minutes - 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the tin and removing it to a wire rack.
💭 Expert tips
- If your batter seems a bit dry (it should be a smooth thick cake batter), add a splash of milk.
- Don't worry if your cake has a crack in it! Traditional Madeira cake is meant to have a crack on top of it! It's a sign that the recipe has worked perfectly!
- Use the correct size loaf tin (2lb/900g) to ensure the batter doesn't overflow.
- Line the tin (with baking paper or nonstick parchment paper) and grease the sides with butter to ensure you can remove it from the tin easily at the end of cooking. Or use loaf tin liners to save time!
- Due to the dense texture, Madeira cakes are popular wedding and birthday cakes because they keep well and can be easily carved into different shapes.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the cake for Afternoon tea along with other tea-time treats such as mini sausage rolls, cucumber sandwiches, Empire biscuits, and small pieces of Malteser tiffin.
I sometimes serve slices of cake for dessert with honeycomb ice cream or custard.
Leftover cake can also be used as the base of sherry trifle.
📖 Variations
- Make a chocolate Madeira cake by replacing 25g of the plain flour with cocoa powder.
- Add ground almonds (almond meal) for more texture.
- Mix in 100g of glace cherries to make a cherry madeira cake.
- Decorate the top of the cake with a lemon sugar syrup and candied lemon slices.
- Swap the lemon zest for orange zest and the lemon juice for orange juice. Or use lemon extract instead.
- Bake the cake in a round springform pan.
🥡 Storage
Store: The cake will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container or cake tin. Wrap it in parchment paper to prevent it from drying out.
Freeze: Once cool, wrap the cake in parchment paper, followed by a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost at room temperature before slicing.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Madeira cake has a higher proportion of flour in the batter than a traditional Victoria sponge cake, and therefore has a denser texture.
They are very similar cakes - both very dense in texture and plain in flavour. In the UK, it is known as Madeira cake, in the US, it is known as a pound cake.
No, there is no Madeira wine in Madeira cake. It is so-called because it used to be served with a glass of Madeira (a fortified Portuguese wine). These days it is more likely to be served with a cup of tea.
😋 More loaf cakes to try
- Golden Syrup Cake
- Apple Loaf Cake
- Blackberry Loaf Cake
- Lime and Coconut Loaf Cake
- Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
- Marzipan Loaf Cake
- Banana and Blueberry Bread
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Recipe
Easy Madeira Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 180 g Butter softened
- 180 g Golden Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Lemon zest of whole lemon and juice of half.
- 200 g Self Raising Flour
- 50 g Plain Flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°c (150 fan/ Gas 3/ 320F) and grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with baking paper.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy.180 g Butter, 180 g Golden Caster Sugar
- Beat in the eggs one by one to prevent the mixture from curdling, and mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.3 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 Lemon
- Fold in the flours and mix until you have a thick smooth batter.200 g Self Raising Flour, 50 g Plain Flour
- Pour the batter into your prepared 2lb loaf tin and bake for 55 minutes - 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the tin and removing it to a wire rack
Notes
- If your batter seems a bit dry (it should be a smooth thick cake batter), add a splash of milk.
- Don't worry if your cake has a crack in it! Traditional Madeira cake is meant to have a crack in the top of it! It's a sign that the recipe has worked perfectly!
- Use the correct size loaf tin (2lb/900g) to ensure the batter doesn't overflow.
- Line the tin (with baking paper or nonstick parchment paper) and grease the sides with butter to ensure you can remove it from the tin easily at the end of cooking. Or use loaf tin liners to save time!
- Make a chocolate Madeira cake by replacing the plain flour with cocoa powder.
- Use ground almonds (almond meal) instead of plain flour.
- Add 100g of glace cherries to make a cherry madeira cake.
- Decorate the top of the cake with a lemon sugar syrup and candied lemon slices.
- Swap the lemon zest for orange zest and the lemon juice for orange juice. Or use lemon extract instead.
- Bake the cake in a round springform pan instead.
Mairead
I love Madeira cake - it brings back memories of my Irish childhood. I would eat a thick slice of cake with a cold glass of milk as soon as my mother said the cake was cool enough for cutting. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Andrea
This loaf cake looks so light and fluffy. Perfect with tea or coffee.
Jill
The flavor and texture of this cake was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe!
Anita
I always love a good pound cake, so it is a no surprise that I am in love with this cake too.
Ana F.
This madeira cake turned out amazing! Truly fluffy and delicious. I enjoyed it with some nutella as you suggested and the combo was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
SM
This cake should go into my oven soon and then it would accompany my coffee. Many thanks for sharing this recipe Beth. 🙂
Laura
This madeira cake was perfect for brunch with my girlfriends! Light and fluffy and delicious! Can't wait to make it again.