The Orange Madeira
The One
There is this perfume advertisement where the tag line is “the one”. I always thought it seemed a little random, but I did completely take on the concept and even the little dance that the model does when I finished this cake. Oh yes! This madeira was… The One. After 3 attempts I had done it! Mary Berry would have been delighted with this I think. The sponge was an excellent texture. Slightly denser than a sponge cake but evenly baked inside. The flavours were well-balanced and the sugar topping was not too sweet and provided a welcoming crunch. The recipe is the same one that I have always used proving that it is all about practice as well as getting the ingredients right.
This recipe was adapted from The Dairy Book of Family Cookery (Ebury Press, 1983).
Ingredients:
175g butter, 175g caster sugar and roughly 25g to sprinkle over the top, 3 eggs (beaten), 100g plain flour, 150g self – raising flour, zest and juice from 1 orange.
Method:
1. Prepare a cake tin.
2. Mix the butter and 175g of sugar together until creamy.
3. Gradually beat in the eggs.
4. Sift in the flour.
5. Add the orange rind and juice.
6. When everything has been mixed well spoon into prepared cake tin.
7. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the cake.
8. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 1 hour and 5 minutes.
9. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
