Nigella's Mother-in-Law's Madeira Cake

My new favorite baking book is Nigella Lawson's "How to Be a Domestic Goddess." I picked this up over the holidays and am I ever happy that I did. I love watching Nigella's shows; she has great ideas and is down-to-earth in her family style cooking.

This cake is actually the very first recipe in the book. It has very basic ingredients (I had all in my pantry!) and it creates a terrific tasting loaf cake with a crackly, sugar-coated crust and golden-yellow center. The lemon juice and zest create a nice subtle citrus flavor that gives the cake that little, something extra to make it special.

Madeira cake gets it's name from both it's origin, the Madeira Islands, and also that it is often served with Madeira wine or also can have Madeira wine in the list of ingredients.

One important thing to remember about this recipe, as well as a lot in the book, is that it calls for self-rising cake flour. I haven't seen this in any stores in my area, but it is very easy to make. Just add about 1 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup of cake flour. I also added a pinch of salt.

My Mother-in Law's Madeira Cake
from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, by Nigella Lawson

1 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup self-rising cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

9x5" loaf pan, buttered and lined with parchment or wax paper

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar, and add the lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, with a tablespoon of the flour for each. Then gently mix in the rest of the flour and finally the lemon juice. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar (about 2 Tbl. should do it,) as it goes in the oven, and bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the pan before turning out. Makes 8-10 slices.

Comments

[Gigi]

It must be fate, my sweetie accidentally bought a bag of self rising flour. I was looking for recipes but kept getting biscuit recipes, until I came across your lovely cake!

[Barbara]

That looks very good -- I love the crackly top! My kids would really enjoy this cake -- I'll put it on the menu.

[Amber]

This looks awesome!! Thank you for sharing.

[Deborah]

I keep telling myself that I'm going to get a Nigella cookbook, but I still don't have one! This looks so delicious, that I'm tempted again to buy this book!

[Joy]

I would definitely recommend Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess. I was given it for my birthday a few years ago and I have used it loads since then. The brownie recipe is fabulous and you can even use plain flour...

[Mansi]

that cake looks delicious! i think I'll go and buy nigella's book too:)

wish you a happy and healthy 2008!!