Sunday 9 September 2012

Weekend baking...maderia cake


It has been a perfectly lovely weekend in London - beautiful sunshine and 28 degree temps on both days. It feels a little as if it is summer's last hurrah before the autumn sets in.

The television programme, The Great British Bake Off, started back on the BBC a few weeks ago, and it has inspired me to try and bake a little more regularly on the weekends...particularly recipes I haven't tried before.

This week I delved into one of my Donna Hay cookbooks and tried her maderia cake. It has perhaps turned out just a little more 'golden' than it should be...I think next time I'll try it in a slightly lower oven, for just a little longer.

The recipe comes from Donna Hay Modern Classics Book 2.

170g butter, softened
3/4 cup of caster sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
3 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice
3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup almond meal

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Place the butter, sugar and lemon rind in the bowl of an electric mixer (I used a hand mixer) and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and the lemon juice, beating well. Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture and fold through with the almond meal.

Grease a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Spoon in the mixture and bake for 45 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in the tin for 5 mins and then turn onto a wire rack. Serves 8-10.

I can highly recommend it - I've already consumed one slice for tea this afternoon. The rest is going to have to be individually sliced and frozen for gradual consumption (as opposed to me eating half of the cake in one sitting)...something to look forward to mid-morning at work this week!

In other news, I've been busy painting this weekend on some long overdue projects...which I hope to post this coming week...

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