Madeira Cake

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Easy

A firm, fine-crumbed butter loaf with a clean lemon flavor and a thin crisp top. Sturdy and plain enough to serve with tea or wine. Makes 10 slices in about 1 hr 25 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 65 min

Total 1 hr 25 min

Yield 10 slices

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

¾ cup (175 g)unsalted butter, softened
14 tbsp (175 g)granulated sugar
3 (150 g)eggs, large, room temperature
1 ¾ cups (225 g)all-purpose flour
1 ¾ tsp (7 g)baking powder
3 tbsp (45 ml)milk
1 tbsp (6 g)lemon zest
1 tbsp (15 ml)lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml)vanilla extract
1 pinchsalt
¾ oz (20 g)candied citron peel, one thin strip

Fresh ingredient guides

LemonsHow to pick, season & nutrition · 24 kcal per 84 g

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 F (165 C). Grease and line a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan.
Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest 4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture curdles. Add the vanilla.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold into the batter alternately with the milk and lemon juice until just combined.
Scrape into the pan, level, and lay the citron peel on top after 15 minutes of baking, so it sits on the surface.
Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a rack and cool completely.

Tips

Room temperature ingredients prevent curdling.
Do not open the oven in the first 30 minutes.
Wrap and rest a day for a more even, moist crumb.
Good with english breakfast tea.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make madeira cake?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 1 hour 5 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 10 slices.

How should I store madeira cake?

Wrap airtight and keep at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Can I make madeira cake ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Serve it with english breakfast tea.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 10 servings this recipe makes.

308 Calories / serving

16.0g Fat

36.8g Carbs

4.5g Protein

19.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (10 servings): ~3080 cal · 160g fat · 368g carbs · 45g protein · 194g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.