343 Comments

1. Mmmmmm sounds delicious – I can’t wait to make mine! xx

   1. Hi Emma. Your recipe sounds lovely. I have always done choc mud cake for my decorated shaped cakes however now my children are school age and will have friends around I want to bake a simpler cake/more kid friendly. What qty of your recipe would I use to bake 2x 1L bowl shaped cakes.. I’m making a toadstool fairy cake.thanks Nikki

      1. Hi Nikki,

         Boy your question has got me going round in circles! Here in the UK we use gramms and ounces to measure but I know in Australia you use litres and cups. And to confuse me even more US and Australia cup sizes are different! But from my search around Google what I can gather is that 1 litre = 4 cups and that means you can use this recipe here to fill 2 x 1 litre cake tins.

         I think you are probably using a Wilton cake tin? If you want to send me the link to which one I can have a double check.

         I hope that helps!

         EmmaMT

      2. Thanks Emma. I actually bought a dollyvarden tin and will cut them into more rounded domes. Your advice sounds correct and yes 250ml is 1cup I believe in US and Australia. Shall I reduce cooking time? Also if I do a practice run as cupcakes shall I bake them for around 15minutes?

      3. You will need to reduce the baking time but without seeing the cake tin it’s hard to say for how long. I would bake for 30 minutes and then check on it. It’s done when the cake comes away from the sides of the cake tin. Always insert a skewer in the deepest part of the cake and once that comes out clean the cake is done.

         Hope that helps

         EmmaMT

   2. This may seem like a silly question but can anyone tell me what size eggs are used in the Madeira cake xx

      1. Hello,

         I have been using medium size eggs up until recently, but my mum was telling me that she uses large. I think the large are giving a lighter texture but there really isn’t that much difference.

         Hope that helps

         EmmaMT

   3. Hi Emma. The advice and tips on making a madeira cake are very much appreciated. I’ve been making madeira cakes and decorating with sugarpaste for a little while but have never been particularly happy with the actual madeira cake it’s edible but a bit too dense. I am making a UFO cake this week and will try your recipe. Quick question, once you have creamed together the butter, margarine and sugar do you mix in the eggs by hand or continue using the mixer? I’ve been using the mixer and I think my eggs have been curdling so will try a spoonful of flour with them each time. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences.

      1. Hello,

         Wow a UFO! That sounds like a fun cake to do!

         When I add the eggs I use the Kitchenaid mixer on full speed and add a small amount at a time to help prevent curdling. I’m about 50/50 successful! So, as a result I add a tablespoon of flour after every egg or two to prevent it curdling. This has had really good results but the best way to keep the cake light and moist is to add the water and flour in three alternating batches. I can’t tell you what a difference that made to my cakes.The texture was so much better than when I added all the flour then all the water.

         Hope that helps

         EmmaMT

      2. The smell coming from the kitchen while this ninja size (12″) cake was in the oven was fabulous. I cooked it at 170 fan and it was ready in 11/2 hours. You need a huge bowl to mix this in . My trusty old Mason Cash struggled !! I only hope it tastes as good as it smells. It’s the bottom tier for a wedding cake . Thank you for the different size tin chart. Soooooo helpful xxx

      3. I know what you mean. I bought a massive mixing bowl that could double as a washing up bowl last week as even my Kitchenaid struggles with the big cake sizes. Maybe I need a new industrial size Kitchenaid!!!

         EmmaMT
         x

2. Having sampled this particular recipe on more than one occasion, I can vouch that it is completely scrumptious! I’m just too timid to go down the novelty cake route. My cakes are round…or square. And I think that’s how they’ll stay!

   1. hi Emma. just tried your madeira cake recipe and i must say it is the best ever
      Thank you.
      I just need you to help me as i use the invicta cake tins and when i used the 8′ round using your 9′ recipe. It wasnt a full tin. Am i doing something wrong?

      1. Hello,

         sorry I don’t know what Invicta tins are. Can you send me a link so I can check them out?

         Thanks

         EmmaMT

      2. http://www.cake-stuff.com/9-round-professional-cake-tin-p-1217.html?zenid=c2b2fb3931b6c4d4256b4505fc41ce2f
         hi Emma. Sorry its taken me awhile to respond. Please see the link regarding the Invicta tin I was telling you about that I use for your madeira cake mix that doesn’t fill up to your 9in recipe.

         Also, where did you purchase your silicone sheet you use for the top of the tins when baking, as the one I use got stuck to my cake and I ended up with a very rough crust top.

         thank you

   2. Hi Emma
      I stumbled over your website a little while ago by chance & I’m so pleased I did. I’ve used your Madeira cake recipe many times which have turned out beautifully, my friends & family have loved them. I’ve always made round cakes but have been asked to make a square one this time. Could you advise me on the quantities I need to use for a 10″, 8″ & a 6″. I want to make them individually & then slice them in half, many thanks

      1. A square cake recipe is 1″ bigger than it’s round equivalent so a 6″ square cake would use a 7″ round cake recipe, 8″ square use a 9″ round and a 10″ would use an 11/12″ round recipe. Here’s a link to ingredients quantities.

         I hope that helps

         EmmaMT

      2. Thank you Emma, that’s great. I’ll give it a go.

3. […] her party.  It was a really easy and straight forward cake to decorate. I used a Madeira cake (recipe here) as always and this time made a square cake to cut the shape […]

4. […] cake was Madeira and was stacked and covered in lilac icing. A week before I baked the cake I iced the cake board and […]

5. […] made three round Madeira cakes and cut each one in half, filled it with buttercream and jam then sliced the sides off till […]

6. […] at the time and I thought the easiest way to do this theme was with a head shape. I made a round Madeira cake and cut the top off so it was more helmet shaped. The whole cake was covered in a thin layer of […]

7. […] cake. (I used Madeira but anything […]

8. […] far I have always used a Madera cake (recipe here) for this shape and I bake the cake in a rectangular tin. If you don’t have one tin large enough […]

9. […] My Mum’s Madiera cake recipe is the best in the world « Cakes …May 28, 2011 … It started a long family tradition in shaped birthday cakes for many (let’s just say well over 30) years. She always made the cakes from Madeira … […]

10. Hi, does this Madiera cake freeze well? Looks very tasty!

    1. Hello.

       Yes ,this cake freezes really well. You can freeze it before icing it and it will still taste freshly baked when it’s defrosted.

       If you freeze an iced cake the icing tends to get soggy when it’s defrosted. You can still eat it, it just doesn’t look as good.

       Thanks for your comment

       EmmaMT

       1. Ok, the cake is in the oven and all looking good but I’ve since had another look at the Hello Kitty photo and I’m thinking I need to make two and layer them with jam? Is this what you have done?

       2. If the cake is nice and deep I simply cut it in half and add a layer of raspberry jam to one side and buttercream to the other, then I position them together.
          It’s easiest to add the filling before you cut out the Hello Kitty shape.

          When adding the jam I heat it up a little bit in the microwave and spread it on the cake with a silicon pastry brush. Let it cool before you sandwich it with the buttercreamed side or it makes a right mess!

          Good luck

          EmmaMT

       3. Hi this recipie sounds great for my little girls birthday cake, I have an elecric fan oven, where in the oven would you recomend cooking it? ie top/middle shelf?

       4. Hello,

          Thanks for your comment. I have an electric fan oven too. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I love it. I always bake my cakes in the middle of the oven, or one rung lower if it means I can watch it baking through the window.

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       5. How far in advance can you bake this cake? I’m making it for Sunday but need time to ice and decorate etc – thanks

       6. Hello,

          Thanks for your question. I usually bake my Madeira cake on Wednesday, shape and buttercream and add first sugarpaste coating on Thursday and finish off decorating on Friday for a Saturday delivery – but I have to fit my cake decorating in with my grown up job. Basically I bake it four days before delivery. Once the cake is buttercreamed and covered in sugarpaste it is sealed and stays fresh. Once a completed cake is cut it should be eaten within 3-4 days.

          As soon as you have baked your cake and it is completely cooled, wrap it in cling film and if it will fit inside a tin or air tight container pop it in- then it will stay fresh for a good few days before decorating.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       7. hi emma
          two things, my cake has cracked on the top any hints to stop this, also to get it cooked in the middle i had to add additional time on however, the sides are slightly overcooked?

       8. Hello again,

          My cakes often crack on the top and it’s usually due to the oven getting too hot. The way I overcome this is by placing a piece of baking paper loosly over the cake for the first hour of baking. I only remove it when it’s nearly baked to perfection. This also helps keep the cake more flat on top.

          Another thing you could do is wrap the outside of your baking tin with folded up baking paper. This prevents the outsides baking too quickly.

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

11. […] cake was a Madeira, (find the recipe here) I wanted to get the whole design from two cakes so I made two square cakes that were 12″ and […]

12. Trying this now. It’s in the oven! Can’t wait! X

13. Thanks, do you have a photo of your finished cake?

    1. Hello,

       I don’t think I do! I usually use this cake to shape into 3D cakes and I’m not sure I’ve ever taken a photo! I’ll have a route around in my album and see what I can find!

       Thanks for stopping by

       EmmaMT

14. Hi there! I am making a golf themed cake for my dad this weekend and i am going to have a bash at carving etc however the tin i am using is going to be a 12″ by 10″ rectangle and i was wondering how to adapt the cooking times and quantities of your recipe?? Please help! baking tomorrow night

    Thanks in advance Kim

    1. Hello,
       Thanks for your question. A cake that size will probably take around 1 1/2 hours to bake. I tend to bake larger cakes at 150C and check every 5-10 minutes. When the cake rises and comes away slightly from the edge of the tin it is nearly done. Give it a light press with your finger. If the cake springs back straight away it’s ready. If it returns slowly give it a few more minutes.
       You can also insert a skewer into the centre of the cake.When it comes out dry it’s done.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. I made this recipe to use for a pirate ship cake and it was wonderful. So tasty I decided to make cupcakes for the party also. I did 2 batches and both were awful. I am not sure what went wrong. The batter tasted the same as the cake and they started out fine but then completely fell. I am not sure whether the recipe can be used for cupcakes or if the very humid weather at my daughter’s (I baked the cake at my home with AC) made a difference. Maybe even the oven. Any ideas????

       2. Thanks so much for your comment.
          I have to admit that I have never been really happy with any cup cake recipe I’ve used in the past. I think it’s because I want them to taste like shop bought ones but, they use additives and preservatives to make them last longer and stay lighter. Obviously I won’t do that and I’m sure neither would you. No recipe has come close yet. I feel a trial coming on.

          Madeira cake is quite a heavy cake. My mum calls it her ‘foundation cake’ as it’s strong enough to take a lot of shaping when making a 3D cake or when you need to stack a few cakes. If I was to recommend a cake mix to use as a cupcake recipe it would be a Victoria sponge. It’s a really light and fluffy cake and a bit crumbly too. It also tastes great with icing or buttercream.

          On another note, some cakes, like Honey cake, are really affected by things like doors or windows being left open and air conditioners blowing in the direction of the oven. I’ve never understood why. I mean the oven is closed and the heat comes from within but I’m always mindful of it.

          Hope that helps.

          EmmaMT

       3. Hi Emma, just tried your 12″ recipe. I cooked it on the middle shelf in a gas oven. Popped the timer on for 1hour and 45mins. After 1hr 10 mins the top was burnt but not crisp and the cake was already cooked. I had it on gas mark 4, should I of cooked it on a lower self or setting???

       4. Hello Michele,

          I’m sorry that your cake didn’t turn out right. In my experience the temperature you baked your cake at works. I’m wondering if your oven is actually hotter than the dial indicates? It may be worth investing in an oven thermometer so you can check the exact temp inside. Next time I would try baking on a lower temperature and checking the cake after 50 minutes so you can keep an eye on it.

          Usually cakes baked in a gas oven come out so much better than electric and fan ones. I hope you were able to salvage the rest of the cake.

          EmmaMT

15. Hi Im looking to bake a number & cake for my son, and would love to try out your recipe.
    Could you give me an idea of measurements for ingredients & cooking time….oh and he’s a huge fan of buttercream icing. Would this be too rich for the Madeira Cake

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your comment. The ingredients and cooking time depends upon the size of your tin. Have a look at the post I did about changing ingredients quantities to fit different size tins here…

       https://cakesbakesandcookies.com/2012/05/02/cake-tins-and-quantities/

       I always add buttercream to my Madeira cakes. I use it as a filling with raspberry jam. For some reason raspberry jam is the best flavour. Others taste good but not as fab as the seedless raspberry. I also coat my cakes in buttercream to make the sugarpaste ‘stick’ but if you aren’t icing the cake a healthy dollop on the top would be a great finishing touch.

       Hope that helps.

       Thanks for stopping by.

       EmmaMT

    2. Hi Emma,
       Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’ve purchased a oven thermometer so I will have another go soon. Even tho it came out burnt, it was the loveliest Madeira cake I’ve ever made or tasted. Thanks again

16. […] didn’t put a thin cake board in between the cake layers because I made this cake out of Madeira sponge which is a pretty ‘strong’ cake. If I had done more layers, or had used a softer more […]

17. Hi, I have searched high and low for a recipe to use for my daughters first birthday. I am using a Number one cake tin (28cmX19cmX5cm). When I found your site I was overjoyed, however, all my friends say that madeira tends to be quite a dry sponge cake, so I thought I’d cut in half and fill with jam and buttercream. Hopefully I will not massacre the cake in the process!! My questions are; Do you think I would be better off making a victoria sponge and just icing it, or, is a madeira more suitable? And, do you have any suggestions for flavouring the cake, and do you have a recipe for a firm buttercream that I can use to ice the cake? Can you tell this is the first time I have done this???? It’s a good job One year olds are forgiving!!!

    1. Hello,

       Thanks so much for your comment.

       I make the majority of my cakes from Madeira cake. I love it. I always use buttercream to cover the cake before icing and depending on the shape and design of the cake I cut in half and add a layer of seedless raspberry jam (no other jam tastes as good) and a decent layer of buttercream in the middle too. It tastes great and definitely adds to the moisture.

       Victoria sponge, although a light and moist cake is very soft which makes it much more difficult to ice. Difficult but not impossible! I personally don’t like the taste of a Victoria Sponge with icing. It’s cream and jam all the way for me, but cake is all about personal taste. Madeira is easier to handle, shape and ice as it’s a ‘foundation cake’.

       Most recipes for Madeira cake state Vanilla as the flavouring, but you can add lemon zest to give it a zesty kick, chocolate (but this makes it a bit less moist) or almond essence – which is what my mum always makes and it amazing- my personal favorite.

       When it comes to buttercream I always use President butter. (I’m not sure if you’re in the UK but this is a french creamy butter) It stays quite firm even when it’s been left out overnight to soften. This makes it perfect for buttercream. I have found that it is harder to get it to blend in the cake mix so I use other softer butters for the cake, but only use President for the buttercream. If the buttercream is too hard you can add a drop or two of milk to soften it up. Use a firm layer in the cake before you soften it for the outter edge before covering your cake with icing. It will harden up after a short time. You can pop the covered cake in the fridge for 10-20 minutes or so to harden up, but don’t leave it in for much longer as it will change the taste of the cake inside. I don’t completely understand why. Something to do with food science and how the butter content solidifies in the cake!

       I hope that all makes sence and helps. My mum’s first cake was my No. 1 which was nearly 40 years ago now and she’s a genius cake decorator/ baker now. I learnt so much from her and I am sure your lucky daughter will do the same. She’ll look back at photos of this cake with very fond memories.

       Good luck and have fun. If you get a second after the party (and once you’ve recovered from your mammoth cake decorating session – it will take much, much longer than you think it will) pop a pic of the cake on the Cakes, Bakes and Cookies facebook page (link below) so I can see it. I love to see how commentors cakes turn out.

       EmmaMT

       Facebook page link
       http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-Bakes-and-Cookies/260731630659816

18. Hi going to do your recipe for a 12 inch square cake for this weekend just wondering do you need to use butter or would a soft margarine like stork be ok also what temp would you recommend for a fan oven 9 egg mix many thanks.

    Karen

    1. Hello,

       What a coincidence so am I! I am going to double the recipe and then bake two separate cakes to sandwich together. That way it’s really deep.

       I have been playing around with this recipe recently (which I will be blogging about soon when I’ve got the measurements for all the size tins down) and have been using 50% butter and 50% stork margarine. It seems to make a much, much lighter textured cake.

       I use a soft butter for the cake – not the cheapest on the shelves but the next one up, as they are the best softness. (Don’t use the Co-Op basic butter as it is too soft and I have had flops every time I’ve used it!) I used to only use President butter for cakes as I thought the taste was the best, but it’s quite a firm butter and doesn’t blend as well as the less expensive brands. I still only use President butter for buttercream as the taste is the amazing with a few drops of vanilla essence.

       I would bake your 12” cake in the middle of the oven at 180C. Don’t use the fan as it will make it rise up in the centre more than it should. Then again the domed top bit gives you some to taste! It will take around 1 ½ hours to bake, but it depends on your oven so keep an eye on it.

       Good luck. Let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hello Emma,

          I make cupcakes all the time and sometimes sell them check out Little Belles Cupcakes on facebook or the web!

          However I always struggle making larger cakes so try not to bother I have searched high and low for a nice cake recipe for my cakes and last week came across this page whilst looking for a recipe for my sons cake!

          Well I used your recipe and can safely say it is AMAZING!!!! I will be using this in future for all my bigger cakes! I checked out your quantity guide and there wasn’t one on there for a 12″ square cake so I tripled the recipe and cooked it for about an hour and a half I think and the cake came out brilliant!

          I cut it and shaped it in to a NASCAR, my first ever car cake and my little boy was amazed!

          I CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH YOU ARE MY HERO!!

       2. Ah thanks so much. What a lovely comment to start the week off on.

          I’m not so good with a cupcake! Funny that. Your cupcakes are amazing. I really love the ones that look like roses. I’d love to learn how to do that.

          I know how to do a swirl topping but I’m never really that happy with the cake texture. I always want them a bit lighter or softer. I’ll keep practicing.

          I’m so glad your cake worked out.

          EmmaMT

       3. hi emma ..
          is possible to make this receipe in a rectangular cake tin? is about 10 inch width and 13inc lenght ? i want to double the ingredients? thanks

       4. Yep, I’d double it so that the cake is around 2 1/2 – 3″ deep.

          Have fun

          EmmaMT

19. Hello,
    I love this recipe – thanks for sharing it! I was just wondering, would this cake work as well if I made it as a lemon madeira? Substituting vanilla for lemon extract, adding lemon zest. Thanks, J. 🙂

    1. Definitely. I would grate the zest of a lemon and add that as well as the freshly squeezed juice. Yummarge!

20. I know this may be a really silly question but is the recipe for one square cake or will I have to repeat the process again to make the second layer if I’m making a sandwich cake with this? Also Im not the greatest at baking cakes but do make a few for my friends when they are needed but I struggle to keep the icing from cracking and drying out not sure where I’m going wrong do u have any tips on what I can do to stop this or advise where I’m going wrong. I hope u can help. Many thanks Lesley

    1. Hello,
       That’s not a silly question at all! This recipe is for a 9″ round tin so it will be suitable for an 8″ square tin.

       Are you using regular icing to cover your cakes? That may be why it’s cracking. It’s tricky to use- even if it does taste great. Alternatives are to use a fondant icing (which is the purple coloured Tate & Lyle one in a box and is made in the same way as regular icing) or to use roll out icing (which I always call sugarpaste). Both are available in Sainsburys.

       Good luck. Let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi EmmaMT

          Thank u for responding how much extra would I need ingredient wise for a 9 inch square? I’m using tens have regal ice ready to roll icing I’ve hear that u can use a bit of vegetable oil to help it not to crack but I’m unsure if this is correct
          Again thank you for getting back to me

       2. Hello,

          A 9″ round tin recipe will do an 8″ square. I would tend to add half the ingredients again and have a really deep cake.

          I use Trex which is a vegetable fat- to soften icing when it’s a bit dried out. This stops it from cracking. I simply put it in the palm of my hands to melt it then knead the icing. It does the trick everytime.

          Good luck

          EmmaMT

21. […] I use spacers when rolling to make sure that the icing is level throughout. This was a 12″ Madeira cake so the sugarpaste needed to be rolled out to a really big circle. In order for the sugarpaste […]

22. Hi Emma,

    im wanting to buy a new cooker with 2 ovens, have you any idea which is best for baking cakes gas or electric, as the gas one i have at the moment is baking my cakes uneven, can you recommend any makes

    Thank you, Shelly.

    1. Hello,

       In my experience gas ovens bake more evenly. I only have an electric oven because we couldn’t fit a gas one in our kitchen and it’s fine. I tend to bake without the fan on as that just makes all my cakes dome in the middle, but I wish I had a huge gas one like my mum’s.

       Ovens are pretty temperamental things! I always bake cakes using a thermometer so I can check what temperature the inside really is. They very rarely are at the temp you set them at in my experience.

       The advantage of an electric oven is that they tend to be easier to clean.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma,

          Thank you so much for your reply,

          Shelly.

23. Hi Emma,

    I’ve stumbled across your page after what I consider to be a madeira cake fail and am in desperate need of help if my daughters birthday party cake is to be ok.
    For her actual birthday I did a trial run 8″ madeira cake in readiness of doing the 10″ party cake. I used a recipe with the following quantities. 12oz butter, 12oz, caster sugar, 12oz self raising flour, 6oz plain flour, 6 large eggs and 11/2 tsp glycerine. Which is vastly different from your recipe above, so I’m wondering if the recipe is the problem.
    The cake was cooked for just over 2 hours at 140ºC in a fan assist oven with paper wrapped around the outside of the tin. It was cooked right through and hadn’t burned on the outside and tastes ok but not great as my husband and I think it’s too dense and dry (we’re both used to my victoria sponges which are super light, fluffy and moist) so it was a bit of a failure in my eyes even though my picky daughter likes it. So my first question is whether there is too much in the way of ingredients in the recipe I used for an 8″ tin and thus it’s produced a denser cake?

    My major problem is whether to try and do a 10″ cake in madeira on Thursday or Friday in readiness for the party on Sunday (not really sure of how far to make it in advance as I’ve heard they improve with age) or give up and hope that a 10″ victoria sponge will hold the icing. I’ve never made a cake this big before so am at a loss.

    I’ve read your comments and noticed you mentioned stork, which I prefer to use for my victoria sponges as it gives good results.
    Would you be able to tell me what quantities I would need to do a 10″ x 3″ madeira using half stork, half butter including quantities for the other ingredients and what temp I should have the oven at and how long it should take please?

    Thank you,
    Andrea

    1. Hi Andrea,

       I can’t tell you how many failures I had before I perfected (and am still perfecting) my Madeira cake. It always amazes me how many various recipes there are on one type of cake. I’ve tried loads and my one has always had the best results.

       Madeira cake is quite a dry cake, but it’s firm and therefore perfect for icing. I add a layer of buttercream and jam in the middle of my cakes to add moisture as well as a buttercream coating on the outside of the cake before I cover it in sugarpaste. My mum never splits her MAdeira cake in half. She adds a layer of jam, covered in marzipan which is covered in icing on the outside of the cake. That tastes AMAZING.

       Madeira cake is never going to be as light and fluffy as a Victoria sponge. You can ice a victoria sponge but it does tend to crumble when you add buttercream and can ink below the weight of the sugarpaste. It’s okay for a pretty small cake, but for an 8-10” cake it may cause a headache.

       My MAdeira recipe is really easy to do and now that I split the butter quantities into 50% butter 50% Flora it’s even lighter. The problem comes if you over bake the cake. That’s when it gets dried out. Keep a close eye on it in the oven and test it once you can smell the cake in the kitchen. When it’s ready it will come away from the sides of the tin slightly and will bounce back instantly when pressed lightly with your finger. When baking larger cakes (9” or bigger) I tend to remove the cake from the oven when it’s just done as it will carry on baking for a bit once you take it out.

       I have been doing some testing on cake tin sizes on my Madeira cake recently and I did 3 x the Madeira ingredients above for a 10” cake. I baked it in an oven at 180°C for 1 hr 15 mins. Avoid using a fan oven if you can as this will dry out the cake more quickly and cause it to dome. All ovens vary so it’s really worthwhile investing in an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the same temp as the dial says. Very few are, mine included!

       Once my Madeira cake is iced, and therefore sealed, it will keep for about 4-6 days before being cut and eaten. One friend had ate hers for two weeks after I gave it to her and she said it tasted just as good! I tend to bake cakes on Wednesday, do first shaping and initial icing on Thursday ready to finish decorating on a Friday (usually till the wee hours listening to LBC!)

       I hope that helps. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

       1. Thanks for your advice Emma. I’m most likely going to try it for my son’s cake now as everything went to pot after a road traffic collision last week so plans have had to change rather rapidly now that I’m confined to using crutches. I do need to crack this madeira cake though so I shall not be beaten!

          Just out of interest the other recipe I found for my trial cake that I was disappointed in told me to place a bowl of water in the oven at the same time as the cake to help keep it moist, and also place baking trays at the top and bottom of the oven. If I change the setting on my oven to non-fan would I still need to do this?

       2. Hello, I love the sound of this cake I want to make it in 2 sizes, 7 and 9 inch round so I can cut them in half fill wit jam and butter cream then stack them on top of each other to make a 2 tier cake then cover in butter cream and fondant I know the recipe above is for a 9 inch cake but what would the recipe & cooking directions etc.. be for the 7 inch? do you think I can do the cake like this? would be grateful for your help, thanks.

       3. Hello,

          Thanks for your question. I would usually make half the ingredients for a 6” cake but as you are making a 7” and a 9” at the same time I would probably measure out double the ingredients and spread them between the two tins so I had two deep cakes. Stacked cakes always look better when they are nice and deep.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

24. Hi Emma,

    Silly question, but how tall does this cake come out as I have a customer who wants it to be about 4 inches tall, and not sure if I will need to do two of this lot in order to meet this hieght

    1. Not a silly question at all. This ingredients will come out at 2.5 inches tall. It will differ depending on how many times you x the ingredients for different size cake tins.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

25. Hello

    is this enough madiera mixture to sandwich the 9 inch cake together ?

    1. Yes it is. The cake will come out a little less deep but you can always add more buttercream if you want it taller.
       EmmaMT

       1. Hello Emma,
          I made the cakes yesterday. I decided to make two in the end as I was making a hand bag cake the sponges turned out perfect 🙂 I have only just started to make big cakes & I’m so pleased that I have found your web page your cakes are amazing!!! I just hope I can end up making them as half as good as you 🙂

          Kind Regards

          Tracey 🙂

       2. Hi Emma
          How many slices would your 9″ round cake make? If I wanted to make a larger one how do I increase the quantities?
          thanks!
          Sarah

       3. Hello,

          My nine inch cake would serve around 20 people (party slices. It would do 40 smaller wedding finger sized slices). It really depends upon how generous you are when wielding a knife!

          How many do you need to serve?

          EmmaMT

26. Hi Emma. Just stumbled by your recipes after couple of weeks searching for an organized recipe for a birthday cake. I must let u know Was so excited immediately I got yours. Hoping to try it tomorrow, but the question I have is how long can you keep it the fridge before icing. also do you store in the fridge or in the refrigerator.

    1. Hello,

       Thank you for your very kind words. It always great to hear!

       I don’t ever store this cake in the fridge as it makes the butter in it go hard and changes the texture, making the cake go harder.

       If you need to store it once it’s baked and not iced then wrap it in clingfilm and store it in an airtight container. You can do this for two-three days. But the best option is to ice it the day after baking as this will completely seal the cake and it will stay fresh and moist for much longer.

       I bake my Madeira cake on a Wednesday, do first shape and basic ice on a Thursday then finish off the decorating on a Friday ready to deliver on a Saturday. Most parties are on a Saturday! One friend said she was still eating her cake a week after! but I would say it tastes best when eaten within 3 days.

       I hope that helps.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

27. Hi Emma, if I want to do a marble cake what do I use on your cake to make it brown, that is marble?
    Thanks

    1. Hello again,

       To make a marble cake you just need to make up the basic Madeira cake mix then seperate it into three bowls. Add cocoa to one (using a sieve to avoid getting lumps!) and mint flavour and/or a drop of green food colouring to the other, leaving one plain old vanilla.

       Then take a spoon of each one and dollop it into the cake tin alternatively. So it’s multicoloured. It’s really easy and very effective.

       You can add any flavour you want, almond, orange, lemon etc. The world is your oyster!

       Have fun

       EmmaMT

       1. Canyon. You add fresh fruit for the flavoring. I need to make a strawberry birthday cake

       2. Hello,

          I have added sultanas and raisins but never anything as wet as strawberries. I think they would probably sink to the bottom. I would probably add fresh strawberries to the buttercream and maybe add some strawberry jam to the buttercream to flavour that. The flavoured buttercream can be added to the outside and in between each cake layer.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

28. Thank you Emma. You are my saviour. Thanks for responding, and thank you for everything.

    1. My pleasure. X

29. Emma, you are the best.

30. Hi Emma, the receipe that you have got can i split this into to tins or do i have to double the ingredients

    1. Hello there,

       You can split it into two tins, but it will bake much quicker and the end result will be thinner. Keep an eye on it while it’s baking and when you can smell the cake it is probably nearly done.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

31. […] decided that as time wasn’t on my side I would just make a really tall Madeira cake with different coloured rainbow layers inside. It was inspired by Dahlias 1st  birthday […]

32. Hello Emma,
    I have recently made a number one cake using the wilton one cake pan. The mixture I used was a 1kg bag madiera dry mix from my local cake shop. This time I would like to use your madiera recipe to make the cake as it tasted sooo yummy when I used the recipe to make a hand bag cake. Do I double up on the mixture to get the equivalent measure of the 1kg dry bag,

    Thanks

    Tracey 🙂

33. Hello Emma,
    I was also wondering if you had a recipe for mince pies?

    Thanks

    Tracey 🙂

    1. Hello,

       I’ve never made mince pies before. My mother in law makes amazing ones so I never really have to! I’m hoping to find a nice new recipe in a book that I can share with you all.

       I have to say I am impressed with how organised you are.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hello Emma,
          I don’t think its the case I’m organized. I think it’s more of the case I LOVE mince pies so much lol 🙂 There was a message just before the mince pie request regarding the Wilton number one cake pan. Sorry to be a pain!

          Thanks

          Tracey 🙂

       2. Now how did that slip through the net!! Sorry about that.

          I don’t know the answer to how much cake ingredients you need for a Wilton cake tin (No. 1) and I’ve had a look on line and it hasn’t come up with any conclusive answers so I’ve done what I always do in these situations…. I messaged them through Facebook. I’ve sent a request to the Wilton press office. I’ll let you know what they say. So far I’ve been quite successful getting information this way. How did we all survive before the internet/Facebook/Twitter etc?

          Spk soon… hopefully!

          EmmaMT

       3. Thank you Emma 🙂

       4. So, I have finally heard back from Wilton. Their customer services representative (in America) said

          “An average cake mix yields 4.5 cups of batter. The grams equivalent is 576 grams. Someone would need that much cake batter to fill our one mix pans.”

          So just one times my Madeira cake recipe should be perfect for your number one Wilton cake tin as that yields practically the same amount. If the cake rises too much you can use a large bread knife to cut off the excess using the side of the tin as a leveler.

          Please let me know how you get on.

          EmmaMT

       5. Hello Emma,
          Thank you for getting back to me. I will let you know how I get on? One thing I will say, when I made the One cake before & chose to use the maderia 1KG bag of dry mix from my local cake shop the lady in the shop said if I make the maderia my self it would be a five egg mix? This made me think I would double up if I were to make the maderia my self using your recipe.

          Thank you

          Tracey 🙂

34. Hi Emma,
    I just wanted to Thank you for this lovely recipe, I used it to make a number ‘1’ for my daughters birthday and I’ll be using it again to make my mums 50th birthday cake.
    I am planning on sandwiching 3 sponge layers together, the top and bottom ones plain madeira and the middle one a madeira with a chocolate marble effect. I then plan to use a buttercream filling and then I’m going to cover it with fondant icing and decorate.I can’t wait to get started!

    1. Ooooooh that sounds delicious! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Loads of people have been talking to me about marble cakes recently. My mum used to make it all the time when I was little. It’s very temping!

       Let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

35. Hi emma i have made quite a few birthday cakes but not any as large as the 13×9 football shirt cake i am about to try would youbake it as one or two and how much of your madeira cake receipe will i need for the whole cake as i am about to try your recipe as some of madieiras have been slightly dry as i have a fan oven and cant turn it off. your help would be great
    thanks
    helen

    1. Hello Helen,

       Thanks for your question. For a cake this large I would suggest that you use my Madeira cake recipe and bake two separate cakes -each one 2x the ingredients. That way each cake will be light and moist.

       In the past I have baked very large cakes in one go but it’s really difficult to mix up that amount of ingredients in my Kitchenaid. I would need a hand held whisk and a mixing bowl the size of a washing up bowl! But also it makes the ingredients in the cake tin more heavy and means that the cake won’t rise as well. I have had some failures where the inside isn’t cooked completely and the outside is over cooked. Two separate cakes will be taller and tastier. That’s how I do all my bigger cakes now and it’s been much more successful.

       Bake each cake at 160ºC (when using a fan oven always lower your temperature by 20ºC. I always bake mine at 180ºC without a fan) I would say it will take around 60-80 minutes to bake a cake that large but keep an eye on it. Once you can smell the cake in the kitchen and it is coming away from the sides of the tin it’s ready. Give it a final test by pressing the centre with your finger. If the cake bounces back immediately it’s ready. If it takes a few seconds then give it a little longer.

       This cake will store for ages. Once it’s completely cool wrap it up in two layers of cling film until you are ready to decorate it. Once it is covered in sugarpaste it will keep fresh for 4-6 days. I always bake on Wednesday, do first shape and cover with buttercream and sugarpaste on Thursday and finish off decorations and details on Friday ready to deliver on Saturday. I have had friends still eating it a week later but I think it tastes best eaten within 2-3 days of it being cut open.

       I hope that helps. Good luck. If you get a second please post a pic of your cake on the Cakes, Bakes and Cookies Facebook page so I can see your masterpiece. It’s a great cake to do. It always goes down well with the footie fans.

       Happy baking

       EmmaMT

       Facebook link
       http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-Bakes-and-Cookies/260731630659816?ref=hl

       1. Hi Emma,

          In regards to baking in a large tin, you said we should multiply ur recipe by two and baking 2 separate cakes. Wouldn’t the cake come out a little flat? or maybe I have gotten confused along the way lol.

          I have to make a 14inch square cake for a friend’s fathers birthday. I would like it to have quite a lot of height to it…possibly about 4 inches.

          I am planning to bake 2 cakes anyway because i would like to fill the cake. For each 14x14x2 inch cake, how much do you think I should multiply your 9″ cake recipe by?

          Thank you!
          Tanya.

       2. Hello,

          Wow 14″ is a huge cake. The largest I have ever baked is a 12″ and for that I baked two cakes (each one 2x the ingredients here) and then stacked them together. I always worry the centre won’t bake well enough and in my experience by baking individual layers you get a lighter, taller cake.

          I think if you want a nice deep cake you should bake each of your 14″ cakes 3 x the ingredients. I think each one should come out around 1 1/2″-2″ deep.

          I hppe that helps

          EmmaMT

36. hi i love using madeira cake and im making a castle for my daughters birthday. im using a 10inch square tin for the first time. can you tell me how much more of the ingrediants i would need to make one this size and quite deep. if need be ill make 2 and jam together. After baking and cooled how long can i sore it for before using and where is best? fridge or freezer? x thank you xx

    1. Hello. I would bake two cakes each one being 1.5 the recipe. This should give you an overall depth of 3″

       Avoid storing cake in the fridge. It will go stale much quicker. Instead wrap it in cling film and pop it in an sir tight container.

       Madeira lasts a while- around 4-5 days once iced.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

37. Hello Emma,

    I am thinking of trying your recipe,and was wondering if I can just use a 2lb loaf tin for this.Also,have you ever used the liquid Flora?…I made a banana loaf cake and it turned out super moist.

    1. Hello,
       Can you let me know the measurements of your loaf tin so I can judge it please? I think it will be okay but you may find that it bakes unevenly due to it’s shape.

       I haven’t tried liquid Flora but I have substituted the same weight of butter for sunflower oil when making a dairy free cake and it worked really well.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

38. Hello Emma,
    Just wanted to let you know I decided to double up on the maderia mixture when using the wilton one cake pan this amount was perfect I was a bit worried one lot of mixture wasn’t going to be enough as the pan I used was the large pan with the solid bottom & not the smaller one with no bottom. I have also made today another hand bag cake for my daughters 10th birthday tomorrow the cake turned out prefect she is going to love it 🙂 I hope you have a lovely Christmas & a happy new year!

    Best Wishes

    Tracey 🙂

39. Hello Emma, I recently used your madeira cake recipe to make a Tiffany’s Box inspired cake for my mum’s 60th birthday. It was my first time baking madeira sponge and I was so impressed with the results! The madeira was delicious (many people complimented how nice it was!) and held the heavy fondant really well. As you do, I also used triple the quantity to make 3 layers with raspberry jam and white chocolate buttercream between, it fed 40 guests, plus extra left over!
    Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’ll definitely be using it again.
    Sarah

    1. Ahhhh thanks Sarah. That’s so nice of you to take the time to tell me. So glad there was plenty left over. Nothing beats another slice the day after!

       EmmaMT

40. Hi Emma,

    i have an 8 inch tin that i want to make a maderia with. would these quantities be enough to make a good deep cake? i need to ice it after as its for a birthday. Thanks.

    1. ps, if i doubled this recipe would it be good for a 10inch tin? Thanks so much! x

    2. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. I would actually double the ingredients for both cake tins. the 8″ will produce a cake around 2″ deep and the 10″ tin will give you a 1 1/2″ deep cake.

       I have been baking two separate cakes recently (which I know is a complete bore) but it gives you a much lighter and more moist cake. Each cake will also rise up more as the mixture isn’t so heavy.

       I did exactly that this week. I needed a really deep 8″ square cake so I doubled the ingredients. The end cake was 2″ deep. It wasn’t deep enough for the design, so I baked another 8″ cake with just a single amount of ingredients. That came out at 1 1/2″ deep! So I now bake two cakes separately

       I hope this helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma, that’s brilliant, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Really love your blog! 🙂 x

       2. Ah, thanks

41. Hi Emma,

    I’ve just had a big disaster with another madeira recipe, cake took forever to cook and turned out greasy and heavy as lead, I think the eggs curdled the mixture a bit.
    I’m going to try again tomorrow with your recipe, my cake tin is a round 10″ diameter and 3.5 inch tall. I normally cut it in half and sandwich both sides with buttercream and raspberry jam like you do, it’s the best combination!

    What quantities would I need for such a large and deep round tin?

    Thank you so much, I’ve found your tips to be incredibly helpful and I’m already feeling a bit more positive!!

    1. Oh how annoying! I hate it when that happens and let me tell you it’s happened to me more than once.

       For a 10″ cake I would double the ingredients. In my experience doubling the mixture and baking it all in one go will result in a heavier cake than if you bake two separate cakes then stack them together. It also means the cake is lighter and taller. It is more time consuming but well worth the effort.

       Madeira cake does take longer to bake than other cakes as it is a ‘foundation cake’ (as my mum always says). It’s firmer, hence it can take a lot of icing and marzipan without sinking or squashing down in the middle. You can expect a double ingredients 10″ cake to take around 1 hr – 1 hr 15min to bake.

       I’ve hardly ever made Madeira cake without it curdling. I’ve tried all sorts of methods but I really don’t think it effects the taste. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature and blend everything really well and I am sure you’ll have a great success next time.

       I hope this helps. Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma,

          Thanks so much for that! So to double check, I should double the recipe, then halve the mixture and cook in two 10″ tins? Obviously the mixture will only come about halfway up the tin I guess on such a deep tin, not sure if that matters though?
          And I should use half Stork half butter instead of only butter?

          I read in other recipes that to stop the eggs curdling the mixture, beat them together first then add the beaten eggs slowly to the mixture with a tablespoon of flour coating them before you start mixing. My cake did have a very funny texture, I’m sure it was because I didn’t do this so I might try that this time!

          Thank you ever so much for your advice, it is very much appreciated!

       2. I would just bake each cake separately. One at a time. If you leave cake mix sitting in a bowl the air that you have mixed in will go and that will stop the cake rising as much.

          Yep, to stop curdling you are supposed to mix the sugar and butter together till it’s pale and fluffy then add beaten egg a tablespoon at a time. Mix really well before adding more. You can add a spoon of the flour to prevent curdling if it starts to separate.

          I am having really good results by doing a 50% butter to 50% flora mix. The butter must be at room temperature and the two should be very well blended before you add the sugar.

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

42. […] baked two round madeira cakes – a 7″ -for the base and a 10″ for the domed […]

43. What a fabulously explained recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Can’t WAIT to try it.

    1. Ahhhh thanks

       1. Hello Emma
          Can you please tell me how long you can keep this cake for, I want to make it for a birthday party and would like to do it in advance the weekend before?.

       2. Hello,

          I usually bake this cake on a Wednesday, shape it and give it a buttercream and sugarpaste coating on a Thursday and then finish off the decorations on a Friday – ready to deliver on a Saturday. If I could do my cake decorating full time I would bake on one day and do all the decorating the next. Basically this stays fresher for longer if you cover it in buttercream and sugarpaste. This seals it. Once cut it will start to go stake.

          If you want to make the cake one weekend to give the next I would probably bake the cake and once it was completely cooled wrap it in two layers of clingfilm and freeze it the same day. This cake freezes really well. Leave it out in a cool kitchen to defrost completely before you decorate it.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       3. Hi Emma so I am trying to make Topsy Turvy Madiera cake in two tiers.First tier would be 3 tins 10″ pan and second would be 3 tins 8″ pans and than I would carve it. So I am clueless . Please can you writte recipe for bouth tiers but in oz not in grams.I hope I don’t ask for to much and that is not going to be hard for you.Thanks. Dina

       4. Hello,

          Thanks for stopping by. You can see my regular Madeira cake recipe here https://cakesbakesandcookies.com/2011/05/28/my-mums-madiera-cake-is-the-best-in-the-world/#comments. It’s in g and oz. If you want to make it a chocolate recipe then swap 50g of chocolate for the flour and swap the water for milk for each set of ingredients.

          For the 8″ cake use 1 x the ingredients. For the 10″ use 2x the ingredients. This should give you two cakes of the same depth (around 1½-2″).

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

          p.s. I know I already answered this on the chocolate Madeira cake post, but I thought others might benefit from seeing it on this page.

44. Hello Emma,

    I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog, so many helpful hints and shared experiences!

    I’m hoping to try your basic madeira recipe soon and wondered what size eggs to use.

    Thanks in advance

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. I always use free range medium eggs -which I keep at room temperature. I was hoping to get my own hens last summer but Tim put his foot down and said.
       “Gain chickens- loose a husband!” so that put an end to that. Shame. I’d love to bake with my very own eggs!

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

45. just used this recipe and added some sultana’s it was delicious.going to attempt a mini mouse 3 tier birthday cake for my little girl’s 3rd birthday and will be using this for the cake and attempting a marshmallow icing to top so here’s hoping for a good result xx

    1. Oooh that’s a great idea. I’ve been baking biscuits with sultanas today. We’re a bit addicted to them in our house at the mo.

       I’ve never had marshmallow icing before but it sounds right up my street. I shall be looking into this very soon!

       EmmaMT

46. Hi, i noticed when you add your eggs you say one at a time, but do you beat them first or add in whole?

    1. Hello,
       I break tem up a little first then mix them in really well.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

47. oh thats great – i was just wondering as i tend to really beat my eggs before i add them in when i do a victoria sandwich and wondered if it would be the same!
    thanks x

48. Hello Emma,

    I have just bought the Wilton 3-D Sports Ball Pan Set. I have never used them before and wondered if you had? I plan to make a BOOB cake for my husbands birthday lol 🙂 A common problem seems to be that the cakes don’t seem to cook all the way through. Do you have any advice on this please.

    Thank you

    Tracey 🙂

    1. Hello,

       Unfortunately I haven’t used the ball (or boob in this case) tin. I think the general rule is to use a firm cake like Madeira and bake it as usual at 180ºC (160ºC fan). If the cake looks like it’s baking too quickly on the outside but still needs a bit longer in the middle – I would cover the top loosely with silicon paper. This will allow the cake to continue baking without burning. I often do this with larger Madeira cakes.

       I hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hello Emma,

          I did a dummy run with the Wilton sports pans today. The only problem was, I should have used 5 full cups of batter devided between the two pans. I could only get 4 cups using your 1 x Madeira recipe. I was wondering if there was a way I could get the extra full cup of batter. Do I have to double the recipe? Other than that, they turned out really well for my first attempt!

          Kind Regards,

          Tracey 🙂

49. Hello, your Maderia Cake receipe is for a 9″ round tin. Would it be deep enough to cut in two and put jam and buttercream in … or would have have to use x 1 of the ingredients and separate over two 9″ round tins? If I have to distribute the ingredients over two tins.. can I cook them at the same time in the over? This may sound an odd question..but I’m not the best of cooks and will be doing this recipe with my kids for my husband’s 40th?

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. Yes this 9″ recipe is definitely enough to cut into two and sandwich with some buttercream and raspberry jam if you bake it all in one tin, but I have much better results when I bake it in two separate tins. The cake rises more and the texture is more light and fluffy. It’s a personal choice. Time isn’t always on our side is it?

       You can bake two cakes in the oven at the same time and if you can fit them on the same shelf you will get a more even result as the two cakes will bake at the same time. If they are on separate shelves you may find one bakes quicker than the other so keep an eye on them.

       Good luck and Happy Birthday to your husband. Life begins at 40.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma,
          Please help, I’ve just followed your maderia cake recipe, I split the mixture in to two 7″ tins and baked in my fan oven at 160 degrees for approx 35 mins. Each cake has come out at 2cm tall what have I done wrong? I did another batch splitting the mixture again and have exactly the same result. That cake tastes lovely but I’m sure it isn’t meant to be this short. Any advice would be gratefully received.
          Many thanks
          Sarah

       2. Oh dear that’s not right. It sounds like you’ve over mixed the ingredients when you added the flour. The more you mix it then the more air is knocked out and it’s the air that helps it to rise.

          Other things to double check are that you are using the right flour and you’ve added the correct amount of baking powder (using baking measuring spoons not regular spoons)

          Other than that I’m stumped!

          I hope that helps and next time you have a nice deep, fluffy cake.

          Good luck

          EmmaMT

       3. Hi Emma,

          Thanks so much for your help, I continued to use my electric mixer when I added the rest of the flour, I guess I should have folded it in. I’ve still managed to make my son’s birthday cake from them, it has three layers instead of two 🙂

          Thanks again

          Sarah

       4. Three layers = more buttercream = happy son.

          X

50. Hello Emma,

    I did a dummy run with the Wilton Sports Pans today. The only problem was, I should have used 5 full cups of batter devided between the two pans. I could only get 4 cups using your 1X Madeira recipe. I was wondering is there a way I could get the 5th cup of batter. Do I double the recipe? Other than that they turned out really well for my first attempt!

    Kinds Regards

    Tracey 🙂

    1. Well done Tracey,

       I think doubling the mixture will give you too much batter. I would add half the ingredients again (so 1 ½ x Madiera mix) When it comes to halving 3 eggs weigh one then add another, mix it up and remove half the weight of one.

       I hope that helps

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi can you tell me the proportions for a rectangular tin measuring 13 x 9 I’m baking a numerical 5

       2. Hello,

          Thanks for your question. The rectangular cake tin you are using is almost the same size as a 10″ square cake tin. I did a lot of experimenting with my Madeira cake recipe last weekend and I would bake two separate cakes in your tin. When I double recipes the cake doesn’t tend to rise as much, domes and cracks and I end up wasting a lot when I level it out. When I make two separate cakes they end up much lighter and fluffier. It is a hassle to make the cake twice but it’s well worth the effort.

          So bake the ingredients in this post for each of your cakes and your ‘5’ will be perfect (and around 2½-3″ deep)

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       3. Hello Emma,

          All turned out well. 1 1/2 x maderia mix for the Wilton Sports Pans was perfect. The boob cake turned out brilliant it definitely got everyones attention! I was even asked if I was a professional cake make!!!! Once again thank you for your advice.

          Kind Regards

          Tracey 🙂

       4. I’m so glad it all worked out. You’re not the first person to ask me about a Wilton cake tin so now I can help a bit more!

          Well done.

          EmmaMTx

       5. Hello Emma,

          Thanks for the advice. I will give it a go & let you know the end result!

          Kind Regards

          Tracey 🙂

51. Hi Emma, I’ve just started baking and have had some success with another madeira recipe (6 oz, 6oz and 9oz flour) but would love to give your one a shot as it sounds like it might be lighter. I’ve only got self raising flour in the house at the moment, can i use that and leave out the baking powder or would u recommend i nip out for plain flour? xx

    1. Hello,

       Sorry I didn’t pick up your comment till this morning. Did you go for it? How did it turn out?

       I haven’t ever made this cake with just self raising flour. In theory it should work. I shall have to have a test run some time.

       EmmaMT

52. Hi I am wanting to make a round first birthday cake to sit on a tier to feed 60 people what size tin should I use and to I split into two tins or x2 the recipe do I then fill with jam and buttercream as going to cover in royal icing

    1. Hello,

       If I understand you correctly, you want to make a round cake to serve 60 guests. In that case you will need to make a 12″ cake. When I make a 12″ cake I bake two separate cakes to sandwich together. Each cake is 2 x the ingredients (so there is a total of 4x the cake ingredients for the whole cake)

       I hope this helps

       EmmaMT

53. Hi Emma, u made your cakes today in a 9″ round cake tin, but they’ve both come out really thin, I forgot my hand mixer so did all the mixing myself. Any ideas where I went wrong and why they came out so thin? They do taste lovely tho!

    Melanie

    1. Oh I hate it when that happens!

       There are lots of things that can cause a flat cake – most commonly opening the oven door within the first 10-20 minutes of baking. Also adding too much baking powder. Most ovens don’t keep to or even reach the right temperature which is why I only trust my oven thermometers temperature readings, but the oven not being at the right temperature also messes cakes up.

       With regards to hand mixing, I have to admit that this is a pretty tough cake to mix with sheer arm strength. The butter and sugar should be beaten together until it is really light and fluffy – around 2-3 minutes for this cake and then the egg needs to be added very slowly to prevent curdling. This could have been the problem with your cake.

       I hope it hasn’t put you off trying again. I think you may have just invented the Madeira biscuit – which is no bad thing!

       EmmaMT

54. Hello Emma,

    I have just been asked to make a cake for my uncle’s 90th birthday! It is for 60 people so I thought that a 12″square cake would be ideal. I found your website and from reading the comments, your recipe sounds the best! For a 12″square cake I would need to double the amount of ingredients, make two of them and sandwich together. How long do I cook each cake and at what temperature? I have never made a Madeira cake before and am feeling a bit nervous to say the least!!! Thanks in advance for your help!

    1. Ah Anita, there’s nothing to be nervous about. It’s only cake!

       Yes, double the ingredients for each cake (ie the total amount is 4x the ingredients) It will take around 1 ½ – 2 hours to bake each cake.

       I have recently been experimenting with loosely placing baking silicon paper over the cake when I put it in the oven for the first hour then removing the paper and continue to bake the cake without the paper till it’s ready to come out. My cakes are coming out nice and flat. Just thought I’d mention it!

       Good luck and congratulations to your uncle. 90 years old! That’s fantastic!

       EmmaMT

       1. Thanks Emma,
          Going out now in the snow to buy the ingredients and will make the cake tomorrow as a trial run. If it works out (fingers crossed), can I freeze it?
          Thanks also for the tip using silicone paper!

          Anita

55. Wonder if you could help please I have to make a 8 inch square cake for a decorating class tomoz,how much do I change your ingredients would they be to much for the tin or would the ingredient still be the Same still new to this so not sure of ingredients and measurements xx

    1. Hello,

       I would use the same ingredients in this recipe and allow a little more baking time in the oven. It will rise a little more but as long as you check it regularly it will be fine.

       To check that is baked:-
       – you can press the top and watch how quickly the cake springs back. If it takes a while it’s not done. If it pops back up it is.
       – The sides of the cake will come away from the cake tin a little
       – Your kitchen will smell of cake – yummy
       – Always insert a skewer into the centre and watch that it comes out dry. If there are any soggy bits give it another 5 minutes until it’s ready
       – Never open the oven door within the first 10-15 minutes of baking or your cake may sag in the middle

       I hope that helps

       Hope you have fun at your class. Let me know what you get up to.

       EmmaMT

       1. Thank you so much will let you know after tomoz xc

56. Hi Emma

    Cake is now in the oven – time for a cup of coffee! Is it ok to freeze the cake?

    Thanks

    Anita

    1. Hello,

       Yes, when the cake is completely cold wrap it in two layers of cling film then you can place it in the freezer. It will take an 8″ cake about 40-60 minutes to completely defrost.

       Things to know…
       – You can freeze an iced cake but the icing will get soggy when it’s defrosted – you can eat it, it just wont look too pretty
       – Never freeze a warm cake
       – Never cover a frozen cake in buttercream or icing. Wait till it’s completely at room temperature otherwise you trap the moisture and end up with a soggy cake.
       – Once a cake has been frozen you should not re-freeze it afterwards

       Hope all that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma
          Thanks for that. It is now cooling down – looks good and smells good! Will pop it into the freezer and do the second one tomorrow. It certainly helped using the baking paper on top for an hour – it is very smooth and flat! Will send you a photo when finished!
          Thanks again for your help
          Anita

57. Hello Emma

    I have just seen a few comments back when you bake a 12″ round you bake two cakes. When ever I bake two cakes they are never even & I have to carve at them to make the cake look even. Is this the case when you bake two cakes? Also how tall should the cake be? Once again thanks very much

    Kind Regards

    Tracey 🙂 x

    1. Hello,

       I do always bake two cakes when I am making one that is 12″. I find big cakes bake more evenly when I do the layers separately. Also my kitchenaid can only cope with so much cake mix!

       When you say the cake’s not even do you mean it rises up more on one side than it does on the other? My cakes tend to get higher in the middle and I just lop off the top – enough to make it level and fill in any extra space with the buttercream. No-one complains about extra buttercream. I also loosely cover the cake in the oven with silicon paper as it helps to bake a more even cake.

       a 12″ cake (using 2 x ingredients) should be around 2″ tall.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Hello Emma

          Thanks for the reply. So in total the two cakes should be around 4″ tall? My friend has asked if I would make her a one tier wedding cake pluss 80 wedding cupcakes no preasure mind you lol. She just wants a sponge cake & the way she would like it decorated I know I could do I just want to play safe & do a dummy run so I know it will be alright on the night as they say in the trade lol. How tall should a one tier cake be? Would a 12″ cake be a nice size cake?

          Kind Regards

          Tracey 🙂 x

58. Hello Emma,

    You are going to get fed up with me lol. I decided to hire an 11″ round instead of the 12″ cake tin. Would 2 x madeira, baked twice be a deep enough cake, to make the one tier wedding cake? What temp should I cook it on? And how long? Thank you

    Kind Regards

    Tracey 🙂 xx

    1. Get fed up of you? Never! I’m honoured to help.

       I would still use 2 x each recipe for each 11″ cake layer. They will just be deeper cakes- around 2-2½”. I would still bake it at 180ºC (160 fan) for around an hour and keep checking it. As the cake will be deeper it’s especially important to check it is fully baked in the centre. Do this with a skewer in the centre of the cake.

       If the cake is browning to fast add a loose sheet of silicon paper (I would probably do this from the start anyway) over the cake tin.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. Thank you Emma 🙂 xx

       2. Hi, I have just came across your blog and am loving it. I love baking but this is my very first time at baking a proper birthday cake. My son is 2 next week and I have a Winnie the Pooh 14 inch by approx 10 inch Wilton cake pan. I was told by the shop assistant to use a 5 egg cake mix but I have came across your recipe and would like to try it. The pan itself is quite shallow so wondered whether it might be best to bake 2 separate batches so that I would be able to sandwich the cake together with jam and buttercream. The sales assistant said the cake alone would be too shallow to slice in half so rather than double the mixture and make a bigger cake, I thought 2 separate ones might work better, what do you think? Do you have any idea what the recipe would be for the cake tin I have?

       3. Hello,

          Thanks for your question. I’m not sure if I follow you exactly. Is the cake tin a 2d Winnie the Pooh (ie lying flat on the cake board?) like this one

          If so I would bake one cake and cut it through the centre to add buttercream and jam. I think baking two cakes separately in a moulded cake tin may prove to be more hassle than it’s worth. I haven’t actually tried it myself as I tend to make a slab of cake and shape that, but with a shaped tin you have no waste and guidelines on where to decorate – perfect for a first birthday cake.

          When you use the tin make sure that you grease it well and add some flour – which should be shaken around so it covered every nook and cranny, before you add the cake mix. This will ensure that the cake comes out of the tin easily.

          For a tin this size I would use twice the ingredients in my recipe. It will probably be a little too much but you will be able to cut off the excess dome, using the sides of the tin as a guideline.

          I hope that helps and you have fun with your first birthday cake.

          EmmaMT

59. Hi Emma,
    Just wanted to pass on my thanks for the madeira cake recipe. I’ve never baked a birthday cake before and decided to try it out for my daughters 4th birthday using 3 x the ingredients as I had a 12 inch round cake tin. It took 2 hours to bake at 150 degrees and was then cooled completely and filled with buttercream and jam and also covered in buttercream icing. I can honestly say it was one of the nicest cakes I’ve ever eaten and has boosted my confidence enough to make more. Thank you so so much. I will definitely be making more in the future.

    1. Ahhh thanks, that’s so great to hear. I’m really glad you’re going to bake some more. I’ve had loads of disasters in the past (and more since I’ve started this blog than I care to mention!) but just keep going. Even the wrong one’s taste good….sometimes!

       Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave such a lovely comment. It means so much to me.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma, that is exactly the Winnie the Pooh cake tin I have, but the woman in the store thought it was too shallow to cut in half, what do you think? If I double the ingredients do you think I would cook at 180 fan oven, if so, for how long? I too was concerned about making 2 moulded cakes and stacking, I figured I would have to remove the mould imprint from the bottom layer to make it flat, but your right, probably more hassle than its worth! If the cake is too shallow, what do you think about jam and buttercream on top, then the fondant? I think it has to have that somewhere lol! Also what is your buttercream recipe, I see you use President butter for it?

          Thanks so much for your help

       2. What you could do is bake two cakes, slice the top off of one to make it flat, then add the second layer (adding all that yummy buttercream and raspberry jam) so you end up with a nice deep cake. Or you could make a rectangle cake for Winnie the Pooh to sit on. You could make it big enough to ice your message on.

          I would bake the cake at 160ºC in a fan oven as they bake much quicker and I’d set the timer for 30 minutes and then watch it to see how it’s doing. It’s hard to judge how long it will take to bake but once you can smell the cake and it’s coming away from the edge of the tin then it’s probably done. Give the cake a gentle press with your finger near the centre of the cake. If it springs back straight away it’s done. If it comes back slowly give it 3-5 more minutes.

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

    2. Thanks again, so if I were to bake 2 would that be 4 times the initial recipe? I.e 2 x for one cake and another 2 x for the other one? If it was then that would be a pretty big cake!!! Do you think it would be better to have 2 shallower cakes? Also do you have a buttercream recipe?

       Thanks so much!

60. Hi Emma,

    Did a trial run and it was delicious! The two layers are now in the freezer and will ice it nearer the day. Have managed to find a place that will put a photo onto edible paper! I know that I have to cover the cake with buttercream before icing. Can I ice it straight away or do I leave it for a while!
    Just seen your recipe for white chocolate mud cake and mentioned it to my husband! Guess what I will be cooking this weekend !

    Anita

    1. Hello,

       Once your cake is fully defrosted you can cover it in buttercream. I do a crumb coating first. That’s a very thin layer of buttercream that sticks all the crumbs to the cake. I get it as smooth as I can then pop the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This hardens up the buttercream allowing you to add another layer of buttercream. This time you can get the edges of the cake really smooth without crumbs or bits of cake crumbling off.It gives you a chance to hide any imperfections, lumps or bumps! Once you get to this stage you can add the icing.

       When you add the sugar paper photo print onto the cake only dampen the back a little. It’s pretty sticky stuff. Also if you need to cut the shape out use sharp scissors. I tried to use a knife once and it ended in disaster!

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. Thanks Emma, very useful tip!

61. Hi I’ve had a look at your Madeira cake recipe and It looks great – I do however need to make a 12″ and an 8″ cake,, both oval what mix would ot be please… I clicked onthe quantities and tins link – but no info there – any help would be great!
    I’ve got a fan oven
    Thanks x

    1. Hi Eve,

       I have to admit that I haven’t made a cake in an oval shape before and I can see why you’re stumped! Everywhere I ‘ve looked has only the measurements for round and square tins. I will have a more thorough search though and pester some experts and see what I can come up with!

       Hopefully spk soon

       EmmaMT

    2. Hello again,

       I am glad to tell you that I went to my local cake decorating shop at the weekend and I asked about baking oval shaped cakes. I was told by the VERY knowledgeable Nova (she’s the one that made the amazing shoe cakes at the Cake and Bake show last year https://cakesbakesandcookies.com/2012/04/29/cake-internationals-cake-decorating-and-baking-show/)

       Nova advised me that when she bakes an oval shaped cake she uses the same amount of ingredients as for a round cake. There is very little difference in the volume between round and oval tins.

       I hope that helps. Let me know how you get on

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

62. Hi Emma..after using your link on making a football shirt and it being a great success, I thought you would be the perfect person to call on for my next project.. 🙂 ..I intend to do a cuple of mini iced cakes with my stepdaughter at some point tomorrow and was wondering if you could give me a guide on amount of ingrdients needed and cooking time.The cake tin is a childs mini tin 12cm x 4cm and I just dont know where to start.Would appreciate any help you could give.
    Many Thanks
    Kathy
    🙂

    1. Hello,

       I am so sorry I have only just seen your comment.I think I may be too late for your baking session. Do you really mean 4 x 12cm? That is Mini!
       If you want to use this Madeira cake recipe here I would say halve the ingredients and only fill your mini cake tin half way. There will be some mix left over so you can use this for cupcakes.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma

          I’m making this for my daughters first birthday 2 tier cake! Would it matter if I used vanilla paste instead of essence? And what butter/marg is best? Not made Madeira cake before!

          Thanks 🙂

       2. Hello,

          Vanilla paste is a much better (but more expensive) alternative to vanilla essence. Your cake will taste much better using it.

          When I make Madeira cake I use an unsalted soft butter (Sainbury’s own brand is good) and Flora if using marg – when making the cake mix, but I only use President un-salted butter for the buttercream. President has the best flavour but it’s so hard that even at room temperature it doesn’t get soft enough to mix well in a cake mix.
          I always use Mary Berry’s butter tip (see here) to soften my butter for anything I am baking as it gives such amazing results. I have a particularly cold kitchen!

          Good luck with your first Madeira. You won’t look back!

          EmmaMT

63. Hi i am from the UK and was wondering if you could help.I have the wilton 3d car and i want to use the madeira cake reciepe as it says for this style of cake.How much mixture do i add to it though? do i use your basic one with 3 eggs etc and double or trebble that?I am making it later today so i hope you are able to reply soon.
    Kind Regards

    Nat Monroe

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. I think you are making this 3D cake. If so it says to use 6 ½ cups of cake batter (don’t you just hate it when they have American sizes that don’t relate to any UK measurements!!!) I’ve been asked a few times to convert their measurements. I use this website to get a conversion. They use a 10″ cake for a 6 cup batter so with that in mind for your car cake I would double my Madeira recipe.

       I can’t tell without seeing the tin but it looks like quite a deep cake in the centre. When you bake it place a sheet of silicon paper loosely over the tin. This will stop the top baking and burning too quickly and will give you a more even cake. Be sure to check that the middle is baked all the way through by inserting a skewer (or knife) into the centre and making sure that it is baked all the way through. I would cook it at 180ºC (160 fan). It’s hard to tell how long it will take as it is thin at the boot and bonnet and deep at the body so after 30 minutes have a peek to see what’s going on and judge it from there.

       I hope that helps

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

64. I can’t understand it,,my aunt is a master,,at cake making,,,from the old house…she always measure ingreiants by balancing it in her hands and every thing is put in a big pottery town,,and then mixed by hand…so easy no electric mixer ,,,but this is in Trinidad,,not Britain….Querino

    1. WOW! That sounds amazing! Does she get the same results every time? I bet she does.
       I can’t bake without measuring really carefully. If I don’t it all goes horribly wrong!

       EmmaMT

65. Hello Emma. Going to try your Madeira cake today for my son’s 3rd birthday party tomorrow. A Mr Tickle cake – eek!

    Have read and re-read the posts but am still confused. For a 9″ round tin with a buttercream and jam filling, do I just use the recipe as is and split across two tins, or the recipe as is for each tin (i.e. double the amounts)

    Off to get provisions now – v last minute- sorry, I hope you see this in time!!!

    1. Hello,

       I hope I am in time! I would say to just use this recipe for a 9″ tin. You will have a slightly more shallow cake but you will have plenty to slice in half and add buttercream to the middle.

       I haven’t made a Mr Tickle cake but have to admit I like the idea of it. The thought of doing those arms! Great fun.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. hi emma im going to be making a 3 tiered cake for my granddaughters 1st birthday….im looking to do a 10 inch 8 inch and 6 inch , its my first time to make a stacked cake so wondering what you suggest on the quantity of cake mix for each please and how deep should they be ? im going to do a trial cake just on the 6 inch size either tomorrow or tuesday before perfecting it for the little miss,s big day 🙂 thank you sharon

       2. Hello,

          Thanks for your question. I would use the amount of ingredients here in this recipe for the 8″, use half for the 6″ and double it for the 10″.

          I tend to bake layers separately so that the cake stays light and moist. The only problem is that you don’t want to have cake mix sitting around waiting for the first layer to bake as it will lose the air that has been whisked into it and make the cake less light and fluffy. I am in the fortunate position to have lots of cake tins so I can bake them in one go but if you don’t then I would suggest halving each amount of ingredients so you can bake each layer separately.

          You can freeze the cake once it is completely cooled if that helps. Just wait for it to be completely defrosted before decorating it.

          I hope that helps. Good luck

          EmmaMT

       3. also forgot to mention i prefer to bake the cakes in seperate layers too as apposed to one deep cake

66. hi emma how deep would you suggest having a 3 tiered first bithday cake please? and is your ingredients for one cake tin or can i split the mix into two seperate tins ? thank you

    1. ill make myself clearer …..your recipe for 9 inch is that for one cake tin ? if so how deep is the cake?…. and how deep would it be to split into two 8 inch tins….i know i have to halve the recipe for 6 inch but does that mean its enough for two tins or just to bake in the one if so again how deep does it turn out…sorry for so many questions just need to get the mix right x

       1. Hello,

          Yes this recipe is for one cake that will come out at 2½ – 3″ tall- depending on your oven / the mix etc (This is the most popular size for a stacked cake) You can slice it in two to add buttercream and jam.

          If you use this recipe for an 8″ cake it will be about 3″ tall.

          All the cakes should come out the same height from the measurements I have given you. Each cake is for one cake -which you can bake in two tins if you prefer or in one go and slice in half.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

    2. On another note, you don’t have to have your cake layers 3″ deep, you can have some double height and some thin or all thin/thick. The choice is yours. Be creative! But I would say that if you want them to be the same height measure your most shallow cake and cut the rest to match. Or add extra buttercream to the centre to make one a little deeper.

       EmmaMT

       1. hi emma … thank you so much for replying back to me …going to do my trial one later on , ill let you know how it turns out , i plan on doing all three cakes in two seperate tins , like you said in another post its turns out lighter and not so heavy which is what i prefer anyways. here goes haha 🙂 x

       2. Good luck. I’m sure it will be a great success XXX

       3. hi emma can you recommend a good white chocolate buttercream without it being too sweet and sickly please xx

       4. Hello, here’s my fav recipe for White Chocolate buttercream

          -300g unsalted butter – at room temperature
          – ½ tsp vanilla essence
          – 750g sieved icing sugar
          – 150 white chocolate – melted and left to cool for a while.

          Mix the butter and icing sugar together until really light and fluffy. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla essence and then stir in the melted chocolate.

          If you want a softer consistency you can add a drop or two of milk and mix that in well, but for adding inbetween cake layers this should be perfect.

          You’ve made me want to go and bake something to cover in white chocolate buttercream now and it’s only 6.30am!

          Hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       5. hi emma just thought id let you know ive made my trial cake today did the 8 inch one and when buttercream jam and fondant was added it was perfect !!!! and its going to be the perfect height along with the 10 inch and 6 inch , the cake itself is gorgeous and light so will be using this recipe for my granddaughters 1st birthday cake…thank you and your mum for sharing a beautiful cake recipe xx

       6. Brilliant. I’m so pleased.

          EmmaMT

       7. Hello Emma,

          Thanks for your recipes/the whole entire site!

          I am wondering if you can put my mind at rest…I am baking a 3 tier cake as a present for my friend and am wanting two of your madiera and one chocolate madiera, I had thought i’d ordered a 3 round tin set of 8,10,12 inches- however! I’ve ended up with a 24cm, 26cm, 28cm set.

          I was planning to make a maderia sponge using the ingredients x1 for the 24cm tier, x1.5 for the chocolate (using your recommended adaptations re: cocoa powder etc) 26cm tier and x2 for the 28cm tin- do you think this sounds right/they will work out roughly the same height?

          Sorry to bother you! I would be so grateful if you could get back to me.
          Kate x

       8. Hello Kate,

          I hope you are well. I’m so sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. I have been filming and shooting all week and I don’t know where the time has gone. I haven’t even got a post out all week until today and I hate that!

          Anyway, back to your question. You have some very odd cake tin sizes there and I can only guess how they will come out as I haven’t tried them myself but in comparison I think the below will be the best options for you.

          24cm tin is closest to 9½” tin. I would use 1 x my Madeira recipe for this one.

          26cm tin is nearly a 10″ tin. I use 2 x my Madeira recipe for a 10″ cake tin.

          28cm tin is bang on an 11″ tin. I use 3 x my Madeira recipe for a 12″ cake so I think you should go for a 2 ½ x my Madeira recipe.

          It’s hard to be exact with your tin measurements but they should all come out around 2½-3″ deep.

          I have recently started baking my Madeira cakes with a piece of baking paper(silicon paper) loosely placed over the tin while they bake as they always come out really flat. I hardly ever have to level them. It works really well with larger cakes. The downside is there’s none for me to eat!

          I really hope that helps….. and that I am not too late.

          Good luck

          EmmaMT

67. Hi there! Do you think it would work if I tripled the ingredients? You may have answered this question already and if so please forgive me for asking again but I can’t find a comment about that. How many slices do you think one recipe (as it is) would cut into? Thanks so much (from Melbourne, Australia).

    1. Hello there,

       I have tripled the ingredients for a 10″ cake before. That’s about all my Kitchenaid mixer can cope with!

       I would say that an 9″ cake will give you around 35-40 servings.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT
       p.s. If you are ever in Sydney say hello to my brother won’t you?

       1. Haha! Yes, for sure! 🙂
          Thanks for the info – that’s awesome – I need to supply cake for 35 people so this is perfect.
          Deb
          P.S. Wish I had a Kitchenaid but will have to hope my Kenwood will cope. :-/

       2. Ah your Kenwood will do exactly the same trick. There really isn’t much difference between the two.

          Have fun

          EmmaMT

68. […] up one 8″ Madeira cake mix for a 10″ tin will give a really great depth to each layer. I also discovered that […]

69. Hello, I am really delighted to see a madeira sponge recipe that seems to work. I need to make a maderia based 9″ square tin cake – could you advise me as to how much ingredients and also whether I should cook this cake in my fan or conventional oven? How long should I cook it for? Thank you so much!

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. Here are the measurements for a 9″ square Madeira cake recipe

       300g butter (you can use 50% butter 50% Flora for a lighter cake)
       400g caster sugar
       2 tea spoon vanilla essence
       6 eggs
       450 g plain flour
       3 teasp of baking powder
       6 tbsp hot water

       I avoid using a fan oven as the cakes tend to bake too quickly. Stick to 180ºC for 55 minutes then check to see if it’s baked.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMt

       1. hi emma can you confirm ingredients for 9inch maderia, your other page stated 8 eggs etc and different quantities

       2. Hello,

          Yes the first post I wrote on the Madeira cake gives a shallow 2-2.5″ cake. The newer recipe on the chart (here) will give a much deeper 3″ cake which I think looks much more professional and give you more to eat.

          I hope that helps

          EmmaMT

       3. hi emma
          if i am doing a square 9 inch madiera, it is the same size as the round one? oh by the way made one the other day it was gorgeous, i added lemon to it and cut it in half and put lemon curd, going to change it the next time and try adding the lemon curd to the butter cream filling just for in between the cake

       4. Hello. For a 9″ square you need to use ingredients for a 10″ round to make up for the missing corners.

          I’ve used lemon curd in buttercream and it tastes amazing. There’s something really yummy about the sweet and sour combo.

          EmmaMT

70. Hello, your website is amazing!

    Have you ever done a blog on making a doll cake, where the cake is the dress and the top half of a doll sticks out the top?

    I am trying to make one for my daughters birthday with a 13x7cm round tin and a 11cm pyrex bowl for the top half. Do you have any idea how much mixture these will take, and how much fondant icing i will need to cover it?

    I am planning on using stork instead of butter, will that make any difference?

    Thanks a lot in advance 🙂

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. I haven’t ever made a doll skirt cake – well not yet anyway!

       I’m a little confused by your sizes. A 13cm tin is very small. Do you mean 13″. If it’s 13cm I would guess that you would need to use the measurements for a 6″ tin – which is the smallest size tin I have ever seen. You can use half the measurements for my Madeira cake for that.

       If the Pyrex bowl is 11cm I would again say use half my measurements. I think you might mean 11″ though which would give you a lovely big skirt. You can use 1 x my recipe for an 8″ for that to allow for the shape of the bowl.

       You can use stork (but Flora would be better) but it won’t taste as good as if you use butter. I now use 50% butter and 50% Flora in my cakes as they are lighter and tastier that way.

       I really hope that helps – although I am a little confused by your sizes so I’m not sure that it did!

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

71. […] They are made using a Madeira cake as the base with fondant and buttercream icing! The recipe for the cake is from […]

72. Hi I made this cake for my daughters second birthday I made two cakes and sandwiched together with strawberry jam. It was the first time ive made a madiera and used the scope and bake method you advised (slightly sceptical but it really works)! The cake was great and very tasty! Will definitely use everytime I make a celebration cake in the future. Thank you.

    1. Ah thanks. What a lovely comment.

       EmmaMT

73. Hi Emma.I have been reading through posts. Could you confirm for me ur recipe. The quantities for your madeira cake is it for one 8 inch cake and you cut it in two or do i have to make two cakes? sorry if question seems stupid. It is about 20 years from i baked a madeira cake and have lost all confidence. I have a fan assisted oven so should i bake it at 160 C. Could you give me your recipe for buttercream. Could you also give me the quantites and time for larger cake sizes. the link in one of other posts must be inalid.I would really appreciate your help.
    Many thanks Elaine b

    1. Hi Elaine,

       Thanks for your question. My mum always said that there’s no such thing as a stupid question! And you’re not the first person to ask this. I must make that more clear in the post!

       The recipe is for 1 x 8″ cake which you can cut in half through the middle to add buttercream and Raspberry jam. Or you can leave it as it is.

       Yes, you should bake the cake at 160ºC in a fan assisted oven.

       My buttercream recipe
       250g unsalted butter (at room temperature) and after a lot of experimentation President butter gives the best taste result and is well worth the extra pennies.
       450g icing sugar.
       1/2 tsp vanilla essence.

       Mix it all together slowly until blended. If it’s too thick add a trickle of milk. If you want it thicker still add a sprinkling of icing sugar.

       If you let me know what size tin you are using I can let you know the quantities for the cake.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. No matter what I do, my buttercream always feels a bit ‘gritty’ despite using icing sugar and I just can’t get a really smooth finish. I’ve just found and tried a recipe for French buttercream on food.com which although more effort, is really smooth but unfortunately is also a bit runny. I’d love to hear any tips on improving the texture.

       2. Hello,

          When I make buttercream I always make sure the butter is at room temperature. It needs to be really soft. I then sieve the icing sugar (always sieve any dry ingredient whether making buttercream or a cake as it will give a much better result) then I add a little vanilla essence and milk to make it softer if necessary. I use my kitchenaid to mix it all up and leave it going for about 3-4 minutes as that makes the buttercream really light and fluffy.

          My buttercream always starts out with a base of:
          250g butter
          500g icing sugar
          1 tsp vanilla essence
          1 tbsp milk

          You can add more or less icing sugar depending on your taste.

          I hope that helps.

          EmmaMT

    2. Great thank you for that advice an recipe Emma. it very much appreciated. elaine

74. Hi Emma,

    Slghtly confused as you stated 2 x maderia in March for a 12″ tin but on MAy 11th you stated you do 3 x the recipe. Which one is best for a 12 x 12 cake? I’m doing a sandwich if that helps.

    Thanks in advance

    Dawn

    1. Yep, that is pretty confusing! I’ve been doing lots of testing of my Madeira cake recently. I find that with bigger cakes I get much better results when I bake two separate cakes so that each layer is light and fluffy and can rise as much as possible. When I bake a 12″ cake in one go (ie when I am going to slice it in half to add the buttercream filling) I have baked a 3x my ingredients (and 4x) but I find that it becomes heavy and bakes on the outside before it bakes on the inside. If I bake two cakes (each one 2 x my ingredients) then buttercream them together I get great results.

       I know it’s a bit of a faff to bake two separate cakes but it’s well worth it in the long run.

       I hope that helps. Sorry for the confusion!

       EmmaMT

       1. Thanks for that Emma! I thought (and hoped) thats what you’d done and went ahead with 2x and baked two seperate cakes. So far so good and now i’m leaving them to cool so that tomorrow I can buttercream and cut.
          One more question if you don’t mind. If i use your white chocolate buttercream for the filling what quantities should I use? Thanks in advance for the help, it is most appreciated. 🙂

          Dawn

75. The cake’s in the oven now, im so nervous! I’m trying the football shirt cake for my boyfriend’s birthday, I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out. Thank you so much! Xx

    1. OOhhhhh good luck. It’s a pretty straight forward cake to make. I’m sure it will turn out fantastic.

       EmmaMT

76. Hi Emma,

    I just wanted to say a huge thank you for recipe share and the template for the shirt cake. I made my very first one this week and it has gone down very well the person I baked and decorated it for. I would have been stumped with out your help.

    I would post the photo but I have no idea how to do that here.

    Dawn

    1. Hi Dawn,

       I’m so glad your cake is a success. I’d really love to see it. There isn’t a way for you to add your photo to the blog but you can share it on my CakesBakesAndCookies.com Facebook page.

       Can’t wait to see it.

       EmmaMT

77. Lovely recipe, thanks for sharing!

78. Hi, I am planning to make a cake this Thursday and was wondering if the recipe would work for an 8 inch square cake tin that is 6 inches deep. I’m only using one tin and cutting the cake in half as the cake comes out quite thick. Thanks

    1. Hi Eleanor,

       Thanks for your question. Genrally ingredients for a 8″ round cake will come up a bit short for an 8″ square one (as the corners are missing. If you get my meaning!) If you want the cake to be really tall (around the 6″ mark) you could make the cake twice and buttercream them together. Or, if you don’t need it to be that tall I would say do 1½ x the recipe and it will be about 4-5″ tall. You can then cut it in half and add buttercream in the middle.

       The key will be to bake it slowly and watch for when it is done. Don’t open the door of your oven for the first 40 minutes or the cake will sink in the centre. After that I would check on it to see when it’s baked through. The easiest way to see that the cake is done is if the cake is coming away from the sides of the tin a little bit, or a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. You’ll know it’s nearly ready when you can start to smell the cake in the kitchen.

       Good luck and let me know how you get on. I’ve just been checking out your blog and I’m really flattered that you would ask me a question.

       EmmaMT

       1. Thank you, I’ll try this! And yes, I’ll let you know how I get on and Thank you, I’m new to blogging

79. Hi Emma,
    My madeira tends to come out a little too moist and wonder if you have any suggestions. I use 12oz sugar, 12oz stork, 14oz flour, 6 med/lge eggs and a little milk if necessary. I bake this in an 8″ square tin for about 1.5-1.75 hrs on 140 degrees in a fan oven. I double line my tin and use a layer of brown paper under and around the tin. the cake always looks and cuts perfect but I think it should be a bit drier. I always remember my mum’s madeira’s being sweet and dry. Help!

    1. Hello Fran,

       Thanks for your question. I think it may be that you are using all margarine as your ‘butter’ instead of real butter. I find that all butter gives a tastier cake but can be a bit heavy, so what I now do is a combination of 50% butter / 50% marg. I find that Flora give the best taste in cakes. So I do half butter and half Flora. The reason I use both is that the butter gives a good taste and texture but the margarine keeps the cake light and fluffy.

       Another discovery I have made is that if you split your flour and milk/water into 3 and add them in alternatively you get less holes in the cake and a really smooth texture.

       I really hope that helps. Let me know how you get on.

       EmmaMT

       1. Hi Emma,
          I used your recipe but used all stork margarine, and lemon extract instead of vanilla. Turned out perfect and tasted absolutely delicious. Light as a feather but still perfect texture for cutting and looked exactly how a good madeira cake should look. Meant to take a pic but was gobbled up. Will be using your recipe from now on for sure. Thanks so much 🙂

       2. Ahhhhh. I’m so pleased it was a success.

          EmmaMT
          X

       3. Hi Emma and Fran
          I just made a lemon version this weekend in two 9x11in tins. Forgot to put the hot water in one of them but it doesn’t seem to have made much of a difference as regards appearance thank goodness. I put the grated rind and juice of a whole lemon in each but used 50/50 packet butter and Flora. Unfortunately I won’t get to try any as it’s for somebody else. I’m just waiting for somebody to ask me to make a choccy one… yum!

       4. Can I have a choccy one please?

80. Hi Emma,

    I’ve used your recipes a few times for my children’s cakes and this week I’m making a two tier minnie mouse cake, I’ve been looking for the quantities page for different tins and I can’t find it so wondered if you could help me again!

    I want to make a 9″ round madeira cake on the bottom and then a 7″ round chocolate madeira cake to go on top, can you help with the quantities and can I easily turn this recipe into chocolate??

    Thanks again

    Amanda

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your question. I would double my Madeira recipe here and use it for both cake tins. If you can bake them on the same shelf in the oven you’ll get a really lovely even cake.

       Chocolate Madiera cake is really delish! I have a recipe on the blog here

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

81. Hi Emma, I’m baking and decorating a christening cake fairly soon, my question is this, a sits a 12 inch round cake and the sides measure 3 inches deep what quantities of the cake mix should I use, also I will be splitting and filling the cake and also what gas mark should I use, I want to have a nice deep cake, kind regards, fiona

    1. Hello,

       I’m just about to write a blog post about how I have discovered the perfect way to get the right ingredients for different cake tin sizes so you have timed your question perfectly!

       For a 12″ cake you will need the following ingredients. This is for one cake (which you can cut in half to fill)

       280g butter
       280g Margarine
       750g caster sugar
       4 tea spoon vanilla essence
       11 eggs
       845g plain flour
       6 teasp of baking powder
       170ml hot water

       The cake will take around 1 1/2 hours to bake at 180ºC (160ºC Fan)

       I hope that helps.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

82. Hi Emma, love your blog and enthusiasm in sharing your passion for baking! I was just wondering how long can you store the cake before a party? Can you keep the iced cake in the fridge or outside?

    1. Hello,

       I tend to bake the cake on a Wednesday. Once it’s cooled I wrap it in cling-film twice then I leave it on the worktop tucked out the way. I then shape, cut it in half, fill it with buttercream and jam and cover it in sugarpaste on a Thursday. Once a cake is covered in sugarpaste it is essentially sealed. I do the final decorating on a Friday. I should add that I do cakes in the evening after I finish my grown up job and the kids are in bed – hence it’s so long winded! The majority of cakes are delivered on a Saturday and I would say that you can still eat the cake on the following Thursday/Friday if you cut it on the delivery Saturday. It’s a bit like bread in that if you just remove the outer edge if it’s gone a bit hard the next layer is fresh and tasty.

       Cake tends to change when you store it in the fridge. It’s something to do with the butter in the cake mix going hard. It never tastes quite as good. Funny that it tastes fine if you freeze then defrost. Sugarpaste will go sticky if left too long in the fridge or if a cake is frozen.

       So to recap. An iced cake should stay out (in a cake box for protection- not a cake tin as it will get sticky. Once decorated the ‘sealed’ the cake will be good for 4-5 days.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

83. Hi Emma, just come across your recipe after doing a Google search.
    I’m baking my Dad’s 60th birthday cake for Saturday in a 10″ square pan, so will give it a go. Slightly nervous, as I’ve never made a cake this big before or iced a cake (with sugar paste), so wish me luck! 😉

    1. Good luck. I’m sure it will be a HUGE success!!! Dad’s love cake. Full stop!

       Let me know how it goes.

       EmmaMT

84. […] I have been asked about Madeira cake since I started this blog. I mean if you check out my first post on it there are over 200 comments! So I shouldn’t have been surprised by the response to last weeks […]

85. Hi Emma
    Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe. So far I have used it to make a football shirt cake using a Wiltons tin (that had no helpful instructions!) and a regular cake for my Dad. They both came out brilliantly and tasted great. Having made many cakes and the result always being a bit hit and miss this is a recipe that I trust!
    Thank you
    Wendy

    1. Ah thanks Wendy. That’s so good of you to take the time to comment and in such a lovely way. You’ve made my day. x

86. Hi!
    When you make a 12″ cake, you said you’d triple the batter.. At what temperature are you baking it? I would love to try this out for my daughter’s birthday cake!

    1. Hello,

       I have actually recently done an ingredients chart post with how much of everything you need for different sized cake tins. You can see it here

       Madeira cake recipes for different cake tins

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

87. Hello Emma,
    i just wanted to say that i have made your mum’s madeira cake which is delicious and ideal for making a football shirt.. I made an Arsenal football shirt cake following your very good advice and your suggestions made it easy. Thank you, this is a great website.
    Laura

    1. Thanks Laura, I’m so glad it was a big success.

       EmmaMT

88. So glad I’ve found this blog ! I’m making a football shirt for a friends son & am going to use an 8×10 inch rectangle as you suggest , my question is what quantity of cake mix should I use ? I intend to split one cake & fill . Think I’ve read so many posts I’ve confused myself now !!

    1. Hello,

       I know what you mean. It does get a bit confusing when you read all the comments on this thread!!

       When you are baking a rectangular cake add up the length and width of the cake tin and divide by two. This will give you the size of a square tin which is much easier to find a recipe for. So your tin is 8+10/2 = 9 so you can use the recipe for a 9″ square cake.

       Just to confuse matters a 9″ round cake recipe will only make an 8″ square cake. In other words an 8″ round cake recipes is 1″ smaller than an 8″ square recipe so you need to use a 10″ round cake recipe for a 9″ cake tin.

       So if you weren’t confused before you will be now!!! Have a look at this post here. You need to follow the 10″ ingredients quantities.

       Hope that helped not hindered!!!

       EmmaMT

       1. Thanks , fingers crossed !!

       2. Thank you for all your tips , first attempt at a madiera AND a football shirt & turned out fantastically . Lots of compliments on taste & appearance , now I’m suddenly taking orders !!

89. Hello. I just love reading your comments. Could you clarify something for me please though. The recipe that you state should be used is 75g butter 75g marg 200g caster 3 eggs 225g plain flour etc and bake in an 8″ tin This is recipe that is used to double up etc when scaling up your recipes. However, on your cake conversion table this recipe is shown to be baked in a 6″ tin. I’m confused. Thanks
    I’ve loved reading all the comments and getting tips. I’ve had some disasters lately with baking large cakes in one go so I’m going to give your recipe a try and bake in two cakes and stack as you recommend!

    1. Hello,

       Thanks for your questions. I have only recently worked out the proper way to increase the ingredients. Originally I used to double the recipe but since I have worked out the exact measurements needed I have had much more success with baking larger cakes. This baking malarky is all about the science! I really wish I understood it a bit better!

       Anyway, the original recipe from this post will give you an 8″ cake that is around 2″ deep. I wasn’t satisfied with that as a deeper cake always looks better so my conversion table is for cakes that will be 3″ deep (hence the difference in quantities for the 8″ recipes). Don’t be scared to bake a larger cake and then slice it in half to fill with buttercream. The 10″ recipe on the conversion table is a good one for that. It bakes slowly and right through to the middle.

       It’s also worth knowing that if you don’t open the oven door for the first 30 minutes of baking you should be safe to have a peep without the cake collapsing.

       I hope that clears that up for you. I shared my mum’s recipe ages ago and I have made it so many times since that I have learnt a lot since.

       Good luck

       EmmaMT

90. Hi again!
    Could you tell me please what would be best for a 10″ round cake

    Should I bake two cakes using your recipe but in 10″ tins and stack together? I know that larger cakes can be a pain to cook thoroughly through the centre. Or should I use per tin 1 and a half times the recipe? I’m always nervous on the baking times when altering the quantities as I don’t want to risk opening the door to check on the cake for it to collapse. Thanks

91. Hi Emma,

    The chart that you posted for the different tin sizes, is this just for round tins or square aswell?

    Thanks,
    Kate

    1. Good question Kate, I should have put that on the chart! The cake tins are for round cakes. For Square cakes you need to go down one inch so a 9″ round cake recipe will fit an 8″ square.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

92. Great recipe. I haven’t made a maderia cake for years because they are usually dry, not this one. I added orange zest and instead of hot water used hot orange juice. Thank you

93. Hi i really want to try this cake for my sons 1st birthday. Ive got a 13x11cm tin i was hoping to use and carve the number 1 out.
    What rrecipe size would you suggest fof this size, also will i need to make 2 to sandwich together or will it be deep enough to cut in half for jam and buttercream…
    Thanks

    1. Hello,

       Do you mean a 13 x 11inch tin? If so you should use the 12″ recipe on this link.

       This cake will be deep enough to slice in half and fill with buttercream and jam.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

94. I actually think this might be the best madeira cake recipe! A, it’s cheap to make, and B, it’s delicious – fine, tender crumb, not exactly moist but far from dry – and it’s LIGHT… I have tried so, so many madeira recipes to find one exactly like this for decorating… and they’ve all turned out dense and heavy and dry – this is PERFECT! I might add a little syrup next time. I’m just hoping it doesn’t dry out once it’s cooled and before I decorate it. You don’t know how excited I am to finally find this, ha! I made four 4″ cakes just to practice a buttercream tall ruffle cake, and straight out of the oven I carved off the domed tops and ate them. Oops… Thanks for sharing xxx

    1. Ooooh I’ve never tried it with syrup. I added syrup to apples I was lighting cooking for an apple pie yesterday and that tasted amazing.

       So glad you like the recipe

       EmmaMT

       1. After the success of using your recipe I’m going to use it again for my sons minecraft cake , cake ! He wants chocolate . I’m using an 8″ tin so 9 ” recipe but how much cocoa powder would you recommend using & would you then use a little less flour ?? Eg 3tbsp cocoa so you remove 3tbsp flour ??

       2. I’d love to know the answer to this too. Let me know how it turns out! I’ve just made my second batch of this cake. I absolutely love it. Do you know, I froze a decorated one with buttercream (leftovers, we’re dieting in our house!) and it was better again when it was defrosted – more moist and really fresh. You’ve restored my faith in madeira cake. I really had almost given up on it! xx

       3. Leftovers!! Leftovers!!! How on earth did you manage that? I am permanently trying not to eat all the cake in the house but it’s seriously not working!!! We haven’t had any nosh in the house for nearly a week and I think my nine year old daughter is about to leave home!

          Anyway, in case you didn’t see my response to Claire’s comment here is a link to a chart I have just completed for ingredients for different size chocolate Madeira cakes.

          Have fun.

          EmmaMT

       4. Hi there!

          Well I must say it’s like you’re reading my mind! I have just finished working out the ingredients for a post on Chocolate Madeira cake as I have to make three cakes to construct a teddy bear cake I am making for my nephew’s 1st birthday party this weekend (and by this weekend I mean tomorrow!) Here’s a sneaky peek at the chart. Hope it helps.

          You’re getting it before anyone else! Yay!

          EmmaMT
          x

95. […] of the most popular posts here on Cakes Bakes and Cookies is my mum’s Madeira cake recipe, so it should come as no surprise that I have been asked so many times for the ingredients needed […]

96. Hi love your cake. I have only made the 6in so far, but need to make a 10 in. Is the oven temp 180 like the 6in?

    1. Yep, I bake pretty much all my cakes at 180ºC (or 160ºC for a fan oven)

       EmmaMT

97. Hi Emma , I’ve not started to lose count of how many times I’ve made both the plain & choc madiera . It’s brilliant & works everytime , I’ve had many compliments. My question is though that I’m going to make a dinosaur using a hemisphere tin form Lakeland but can’t decide what size mix I should use . Any tips , would I be best measuring the tin round from one side to the other & use that measurement ? Thanks

    1. Hello,

       I would measure how much volume the hemisphere tin can hold. You can do that by measuring water into the tin. Then check for the closest volume on the chart on this post

       You can see what volume I measured for each size cake tin.

       I hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Brilliant thanks , it was 1400ml so I’ll go with the 7″ . I use your chart all the time , even saved it to Dropbox & yet never noticed the liquid measurement ! Doh !!
          Claire

98. Hi Emma, is it large or medium eggs you use in this recipe? Thanks Helen

    1. I use medium but I have made it with large and that works just as well.

       EmmaMT

       1. Thank you Emma

99. Hi, hope you can help? I have 2 questions, I am making a football shirt cake and a football cake for the first time next weekend. The template for the shirt states a 10 x 8″ tin, but I only have 10″ square. Would I be best just cooking it in the 10″ and cutting off the excess or attempting to section off the tin to make it the correct size and would this adjust your recipe quantities and baking time? The other tin for the football is 2 half domes from Lakeland with a 16cm diameter, do you know what quantity of your recipe I would use to fill these and how long should I bake them for? Thanks for any advice.

    1. Hello,

       I would make the 10″ cake and cut off the extra 2″ and stick it on the bottom to make a longer shirt. More cake to eat is always a winner! Or you could make the shirt more square.

       With the hemisphere tin if you measure in how much water it can hold you can see how much ingredients you need to use. have a look at this post
       The amount in mm after the cake size is how much water the tin can hold.

       Hope that helps

       EmmaMT

       1. Thank you for that… Much appreciated.

100. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve literally just lifted my 10″ square (used 12″ round recipe) cake out of the oven and it looks amazing. I was beginning to lose hope as other recipes were not working for this tin size and came out quite dense but after an anxious wait this morning this looks perfect. Now onto the next tricky bit, cutting in half! Eeek! Making my first birthday cake for my daughter :-). She’s enjoyed helping, especially having 11 eggs to crack.

     1. Ah that’s so lovely. I get Darcey to do the eggs for my cakes. She has always had this unbelievable ability to do it successfully with no shells in the mix. Even when she was really little. But I did have a trick up my sleeve. The pieces of shell always sink to the bottom of the bowl so we break them into a glass pyrex jug and I lift it up to check for shells underneath. If they are small they just stick to the bottom when your pour the eggs out slowly!

        EmmaMT

101. Hi Emma

     Could you provide the ingredient amounts for a 4″ square tin please? I also have a 4″ round tin but would use the same amount and maybe just line the tin a bit higher with baking paper?
     The square tin holds 900g or 725ml of water.
     Ive been using the 6″ round recipe but its just way too much and spils all over the place.

     Also, if I wanted to try out a lemon version on your recipe, would I just replace whatever tsp amount of vanilla for lemon zest/juice?, I did this for Almond and although it was really nice and I prefer it to vanilla, I did find it a bit overpowering, maybe I should have done haf the amount – I had also put almond in the buttercream – should I have stuck to vanilla for that?

     Thanks for such a fantastic madeira recipe 🙂

     Cheryl

     1. Hello,

        Well that is a really small cake! I’ve worked out the ingredients but when reducing the amounts it gets a lot more tricky than when enlarging. I hope this works out. I’ve not tried it myself before, but I have needed to make a small 4″ cake before but I’ve always just shared the cake mix with a larger tin. So you’ll have to let me know how you get on.

        4″ Madeira Cake Recipe
        45g Butter
        45g Margarine
        120g Caster sugar
        1/2 tea spoon vanilla essence
        2 eggs
        375g plain flour
        1 tea psoon baking powder
        1 ½ hot water

        I think it will take around 20 minutes to bake at 180ºC but check it out after 15.

        With regards to the Almond essnese – you should be able to swap exactly the vanilla for the almond essence. I do that all the time and it tastes great. I wouldn’t have added any almond essence to the buttercream though as I think a drop or two of vanilla is all you need. If you want to add almond flavouring to the buttercream add just a few drops at a time and taste test as you go.

        I hope that helps

        EmmaMT

102. I wouldnered if you could adapt the same in terms of the recipe for a redvelvet cake if that is possible.

103. Ive tried what seems like a thousand different madeira recipes, all with varying degrees of failure and/or disappointment. This however is an utter triumph! My only adjustment was cooking time (as my oven has a mind of its own! basically -10 mins on anything!) This is by far the BEST recipe for madeira EVER. The depth is perfect, its light, its tasty…. its Perfect. Thankyou! This will now save me so much heartache and fuss. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

     1. Ahh thanks Emma. What a lovely comment.

        EmmaMT
        x

104. Hi Emma, Your chocolate madeira cake is fab! I’ve had a few disappointments with madeira but not this time! Last week I made the chocolate madeira cake as I was making a ruby wedding anniversary cake for my daughter-in-law’s parents. They liked the cake so much, I had a telephone call to say how wonderful the cake tasted. Thank you so much. Eirlys

     1. Ah how lovely. Isn’t it lovely when people take the time to thank you properly? I’m so glad you had a great cake

        EmmaMT

105. Hi if I make the 9″ cake but split it into two tins how long would you bake it for. I have a gas cooker.

     1. Hello,

        It will take around 60-80 minutes. Have a look at this post for future ideas and also really exact measurements
        
        EmmaMT

106. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe 🙂 I was looking for a new recipe to try for large square cakes and this one works beautifully! Although I got a dome, I simply cut it off and was left with a perfect and level square and a yummy cake. (didn’t mind the dome either as I got to have some of the delicious cake)

     Tamsin

     1. I always think it’s a good idea to ‘test’ a cake!

        Next time try placing a piece of greaseproof paper with a small hole cut in the centre loosely over the cake tin when you bake it. You can remove the paper half way through. This prevents doming…. and eating too much cake!

        EmmaMT
        x

107. Is that 180c fan oven?

     1. 180ºC electric oven or 160ºC fan oven.

        I hope that helps

        EmmaMT

108. Can you please work out a recipe I will need your an 9 inch square Madeira?

     1. Hello, You can use the 10″ round cake recipe.

        I hope that helps

        EmmaMT

109. Hello,
     Just like to say a massive thank you for given us the best cake recipe ever, especially the chocolate one. I finally sorted out my gas oven and they all come out lovely xx

     Also, I’ve been asked to make a lemon version and also a coconut version? Would you have the recipe for these at all. Also a 14″ and 16″ version??

     Many many thanks

     Michele x

     1. Hi Michelle,

        I’m so glad you like the recipe. It’s definitely a winner!

        Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for lemon or coconut Madeira cake. A reader once added some desiccated coconut and coconut flavouring and said it worked fabulously. With a Lemon flavouring I would add the zest and juice of one lemon and omit the vanilla essence ( 1 lemon per 8″ cake).

        I don’t have cake tins in a 14 or 16″ – I don’t think they’d fit into my oven! But a reader measured her 14″ square tin and these are the ingredients I worked out for her. If you want to measure how much water your 16″ tin will hold I can work out the ingredients. Just let me know in mm how much water the tin holds.

        14” Madeira cake recipe
        310g butter
        310g Margarine
        830g caster sugar
        4 ½ tea spoon vanilla essence
        13 eggs
        930g plain flour
        6 ½ teasp of baking powder
        12 ½ tbsp hot water

        Bake at 180ºC(160º Fan) for 120-140 minutes

        I hope that helps

        EmmaMT

        1. Thank you so much Emma x

110. HI, I found your recipe and wanted to give it a try. I noticed you provided matrix chart for ingredients for a 9 inch cake and followed them religiously. I cooked the cake for 80 minutes but noticed it was still uncooked inside. I have compared your sizing chart to the original recipe and they seem completely different which is why I think I had problems.

     Which recipe should I use? Should I go with the 8 inch recipe on this page and increase slightly or is your 9 inch recipe for 2 cakes?

     Thanks Sara

     1. Hi Sara,

        Sorry you’ve had problems with your cake. I wrote that post originally nearly two years ago and I have gained a ton more experience since then. The recipe ingredients on the page 6 to 12″ in 60 seconds here has the best recipe to follow. I think after your comment I will put a little note about that on the end of the original post.

        I hope that helps with all future cakes

        EmmaMT

111. Thank you Emma you saved the day or your mum did. I have been baking cakes for more years than I like to think. Two weeks ago I had a sponge two tier 21st birthday cake to make. Used my usual recipe and while in the oven both the 12″ and 9″ went down in the oven. Could have understood it if I had opened the oven door but didn’t. In desperation I was searching the web and found your page. Very late at night, as I was behind time I baked your mums Madeira cake and turned out beautiful. The recipients of the cake were delighted with it. A big thank you for saving the day.

     1. Hooray!!! That’s great. So, glad I could help. Well done you.

        EmmaMT

112. Hi Emma, I made your Mum’s Madeira cake recipe yesterday for my God daughters first birthday in a No 1 shape tin plus a few cupcakes with the leftover batter. It has cooked beautifully and tastes wonderful! I will use it again and again. So glad I found you – Helen

     1. Ahh, I’m so pleased. And cupcakes too! That sounds great.

        Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’m touched.

        EmmaMT
        x

113. Hi. I’m making my first 3 tier wedding cake this weekend and i normally just convert my cupcake recipe but as it’s a wedding cake, i thought I’d look for a recipe i could easily scale up and down…
     I’ve found your recipe for vanilla and chocolate madeira but also need a lemon version(and the comments make it sound soo scrummy).
     Do i just use lemon extract/lemon rind instead of vanilla essence? If so how many lemon do I need?
     TIA
     Sallyx

     1. Hello,

        Thanks for your question. Yes you can just omit the vanilla essence and add the juice and rind of one lemon to the 8″ cake. For different sizes I would add a little more or less. You can also make a lemon sugar syrup – which is something I’ve been testing recently for vanilla cakes (not with lemon obviously!) What you need to do for…

        lemon sugar syrup.
        Dissolve 50g of sugar in 50ml of water in a saucepan then add the juice of one lemon. Set aside to cool while your cake is baking. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven brush it with the syrup. This locks in the moisture and adds to the cake.

        I hope that helps. Good luck

        EmmaMT
        x

114. Hi Emma,

     Just wanted to say a big thank you for your chocolate maderia cake recipe – and the fantastic ingredients list – I am baking a 5 tier wedding cake and have used this recipe for the bottom two layers 12 inch and 10 inch – they have turned out beautiful and can’t wait to start decorating them.
     Thanks again,

     Liz xxx

     1. Ooooh you are welcome.

        Wowzers! FIVE TIERS!!! I hope you can assemble on site! That sounds fantastic – but then again 22 inches of chocolate cake is always going to be a winner!

        Thanks for the lovely comment

        EmmaMT

        p.s. If you get a sec to post a pic on the CakesBakesAndCookies.com Facebook page when it’s finished that would be fab. I’d love to see it

        https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-Bakes-and-Cookies/260731630659816?ref=hl

115. Hi Emma! How would you turn this into a chocolate recipe? 100g cocoa in the place of flour? X

116. On no!!! I didn’t see your chocolate Madeira recipe- I only added 100g of cocoa for the 10” cake and used water and not milk- is it a right off? It’s currently baking in the oven…. Gutted!!!

     1. Sorry, I’ve only just seen your comments. Was is a right off? I would imagine it’s just not very chocolatey. You can always add chocolate ganache and chocolate buttercream to remedy that.

        Hope it’s all okay

        EmmaMT

        1. It actually has turned out ok!! Still a deep brown colour and does taste ok! I think I’ll put some choc filling in though- just to make sure!!

117. well two two tier cakes down : one choc and vanilla and one all vanilla and the cakes are fab! I am too impatient and the first attempt looked lovely but was undercooked so i now know i HAVE to wait! I have another in cooking as I type and this is a three tier for Friday …fingers crossed!

     1. Ooooh that sounds so exciting! Please share your pics with me on my CakesBakesAndCookies facebook page so I can see how fab it looks.

        Happy Baking

        EmmaMT

118. Hi Emma! I want to make a lemon madeira cake, was just wondering how much zest/lemon juice you would add to a 7inch and a 9inch round and at what stage?

     Thanks
     Rosie

     1. Hello,

        I’ve just made a lemon and lime Madeira cake (coming to a blog near you soon!) and it was really good. For a 7″ Lemon cake I would omit the vanilla essence and use the juice and grated rind of 1/2 a lemon. For the 9″ I would use one whole lemon and rind.

        I like a subtle flavour and tend to make the buttercream more lemony than the cake. I also add a sugar syrup (juice from 1/2 lemon, 25g sugar, 25ml water all boiled up together) and brush this over the top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven to stop the cake from continuing to bake which keeps it nice and moist.

        I hope that helps

        EmmaMT

119. Hi I am going to attempt to make my daughter’s birthday cake I was going to do a 2 tier cake a teninch and an 8inch would a madeira cake be suitable for this. Also iam going to cover it in icing do I cover it in buttercream first.
     Thx zoe

     1. Hello Zoe,

        Madiera cake is perfect for your cake as it is a nice firm cake. Saying that make sure you place a thin cake board under the top tier and some cake posts in the bottom tier so one doesn’t sink into the other. That would be a disaster!

        I cover cakes with buttercream to create a crumb coating which gives you a lovely smooth surface to cover with sugarpaste.

        Some posts you might find useful are:
        How to crumb coat a cake
        How to stack a cake You use the same process for a round cake as you do for a square one.
        How to get a smooth finish with your sugarpaste

        I really hope that helps

        Good luck and don’t forget to share your cake with me on the CakesBakesAndCookies Facebook page. I’d love to see the end result.

        EmmaMT
        x

120. I am in the process of making a four tier wedding cake for a family member and have been searching for a madeira recipe, when I found yours with all the positive comments I thought I would give it a go I’m so glad I did.
     I’ve just finished the top tier and decided on lemon flavour for it, it is beautiful so light and buttery (although I only tasted the crumbs it tasted great).
     Thanks for sharing.

     1. Oooooh Lemon Madeira cake- Sooooo good!

        Let me know how the cake turns out. I’d love to see it.

        EmmaMT

121. Hi Emma. I have made your Madeira cake a few times very successfully. However, I recently bought some new cakes tins and my cakes have risen beautifully in the oven only to sink dramatically on cooling? Any suggestions as to why this should happen would be greatly appreciated. Maybe tin too shallow (although mix fits in comfortably)?

     1. Hello,

        There are two main reasons why a cake sinks in the middle, the oven door was opened during the first half of the cake baking or the cake is taken out of the oven before it’s finished baking.

        While a cake is in the oven the liquids are heating up – so any water or milk will reach boiling point creating tiny air bubbles. These bubbles rise making the cake swell and create a light textured cake. If you open up the oven door while this reaction is taking place all those bubbles burst with the first whoosh of cold air and that is what causes a cake to sink.

        These are the best ways to tell if your cake is baked

        -Always test the centre of the cake. That is the part that takes the longest to bake and is the most likely to still need more time.
        The pressing method- My favourite method for testing a cake is to lightly press the centre of the cake with my finger. If the cake bounces back immediately then it’s done. If it takes 2 or more seconds give it a little longer.
        The Skewer method – Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean without any cake mix residue it’s ready. If there’s still some moist cake mix on the end you’ll need to pop it back in for a few minutes more. When making a particularly deep cake I would test with a knife. A skewer may not work as well.
        Check the edges method- When a cake bakes the outer edges always bake fastest (as they’re against the hot metal cake tin). For this reason when the middle of your cake is baked the sides will shrink away from the cake tin. This is another good indicator that the cake is baked.
        Smell the cake method- When a cake is coming to the end of its baking time you can smell it in the kitchen even if you haven’t opened the oven door – a lovely side effect of baking. I wouldn’t use this method alone but it’s always a good reminder if you leave the kitchen.
        So, there you have it. I hope this helps you to have perfectly flat cakes without any sinking.

        Let me know how you get on

        EmmaMT

122. Hi Emma

     I have a fan oven do I need to reduce the temperature.

     Also how do you prepare your cake to freeze, do you wait until the cake is completely cool.

     Many Thanks

     kelly

     1. Hello,

        Yes the oven temperature for a fan oven should always be 20 degrees lower than a non fan oven. Place the shelf in the middle of the oven and you’re good to go.

        Freezing Madeira cake

        If you want to freeze Madeira cake you can. Once it is completely cold wrap it in two layers of cling film and freeze for up to three months. It will take about an hour to defrost on a wire cooling rack. Never cover a cake that isn’t completely defrosted with buttercream or marzipan or sugarpaste. You will end up with a sticky gooey mess!

        Can I freeze a decorated cake?

        Yep, you can. But the icing/ sugarpaste will become tacky once it’s defrosted so only do this once you have celebrated your occasion and you are freezing left overs. It will still taste as good as new it just might not look so pretty.

        Hope that helps

        EmmaMT

123. Over the weekend,I intend to bake multiple flat layers to make a rainbow madeira cake…will it be okay if I could take on the larger measurement and seperate it into desired number of colours (adding color gel) and bake 1 tin at time while the other trays are left on the counter to wait till it bakes considering the fact that my oven can only handle 1 8″ tin.

     please provide suggestions. Thank you…

     1. Hello,

        You can do this but try to mix the colours in with as little mixing as possible as every stir removed air bubbles and makes a less light and fluffy cake. Ideally you want to get the cake in the oven as soon as it’s mixed. The longer it’s left out the heavier it gets. I use foil baking trays when I make rainbow cakes and don’t have enough of the right size tins. You can get them in Lakeland

        Hope that helps

        EmmaMT

124. Can you tell me when you add the flour to the eggs and butter, do you fold in the flour in in three amounts or mix it in .Thanks Mark.

     1. Hello,

        I always fold the flour in in three amounts. ⅓ flour + ⅓ Water and so on till it’s all combined. This makes a massive difference to the way the cake bakes. I don’t understand why but when my cakes didn’t taste as good as my mums she said to stop adding all the flour and then all the water and do it in thirds and it was like magic! I also always fold in the flour until just combined. That way you don’t bash out too much air.

        Hope that helps

        EmmaMT

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