Lindy's Cakes Ltd

Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen

Flavouring Madeira Cakes

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Often Madeira cake is left plain but there are lots of ingredients that you can use to add a different flavour.

 

For a six egg quantity Madeira, an 20cm (8 inch) round cake, try one of the following

 

·         Lemon – Finely grated rind of 2 lemons (this is the traditional flavouring)

·         Vanilla – 1 tsp vanilla extract

·         Cherry – 350g (12oz) glace cherries, halved

·         Coconut – 110g (3 ¾ oz) desiccated coconut

·         Almond – 1tsp almond extract and 3 tbsp ground almonds

 

The Chocolate Cake recipe that Lindy uses can also be flavoured. We did a Chocolate Orange recipe for a client which was very successful using the zest of 2 oranges and 2 tsp of orange extract for the 20cm (8 inch) chocolate cake.

 

The recipes for both the Madeira and Chocolate cakes are in all of Lindy’s cake decorating books.

 

Our list isn’t by any means complete, so please do add any other flavouring suggestions that you would like to share with our readers.

 

Andy

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I didn’t find anywhere a madeira’s cake recipe that was carrot flavored, but I did give myself the chance of trying; I made it, and it was a terrific success in my church’s event!
    I just added the carrot and spices as it was a traditional carrot cake, but the consistency firmer of the MC was very handy for me to decotare and store.
    Check it out on my site 😉

  2. I need help, I cannot get real red for my sugarpaste
    decorations, I’ve bought real red paste color but still
    is not the red I see in many cakes. I would apreciate if
    somebody could give me indications how to get it.
    Thanks. Ma Cruz

  3. In the UK we are lucky enough to be able to buy pre-coloured red sugarpaste, however it is possible to colour your own. To get a deep red you will need to use a concentrated paste colour such as the Sugarflair extra concentrated paste colour that we stock. You might find you sugarpaste gets very sticky, if it does I suggest you add a little CMC and white vegetable fat to the sugarpaste to over come this problem.
    Good luck.

  7. could you advise me on what size cakes to use it is a three tier sponge wedding for 160 people thankyou pat.

  8. Hi Pat,
    There are a number of ways of doing this, firstly you need to decide if you prefer a 2in (5cm) or 3in (7.5cm) difference between the tiers.
    For example, if you prefer a 3in difference, for 160 people we suggest:
    Bottom tier – 11 inch round
    Middle tier – 8 inch round
    Top tier – 5 inch round
    This will give you 79 servings of 2 x 1 inch slices.
    Then we suggest having 2 x 11 inch round cutting cakes in the kitchen which will give you approx 173 servings in total including the other 3 tiers on the wedding cake.
    Hope this helps you and good luck with the wedding cake.
    Marina

  9. Where I come from in Greece, we always eat madeira cake with raisins in it. Are there any other traditional versions of this recipe I wonder?

  10. Hi Zena,

    What a lovely idea, Madeira with Raisins.
    Its not something we have had here at Lindy’s.
    Does anyone else know if there are other traditional versions of Madeira cake from across the world?

    Marina

  11. Lindy sou sua fã do Brasil, tenho 3 livros seus Este bolo de madeira que vocês estão falando ele e feito de que.
    Aqui no Brasil é bolo de noiva o mais usado para casamento com ameixa, passas, frutas cristalizadas, castanha, amendoim vinho do porto, vinho eu posso passar a receita se quiserem moscatel. eu gostaria de receber a receita do bolo de madeira, beijo

  12. Olá Ruth
    My recipe for madiera is here on my blog please click here. I’d love to try a traditional Brazilian wedding cake please do send me a recipe,
    obrigada.
    Beijos Lindy 🙂

  13. Can you please advise what is the best recipe to use to make my sons birthday cake.

    I’m using a 9 inch square tin to make a football pitch

    Also what is cooking times and temperatures?
    I have a fan assisted electric oven.

    Thanks,

    Laura

  14. Hi Laura,
    Sorry for the delay in our response, we have a great Madeira Cake recipe on our website and also the Chocolate Fudge Cake would work, boys love chocolate!!

    Take Care

    Sara

  15. Hi,

    I would like to make a small madiera cake as the top tier of my Christmas cake and I was wondering if you have any suggestions for a flavouring that would make it more festive?

    Many thanks,

    Michelle x

  16. Hello Michelle
    You can use loads of flavours – spices, grated marzipan, fruit and cherries, almonds, maybe a little alcohol!
    Jane

  18. Hi,

    I have been asked to make the Castle Cake from your book in Chocolate cake – Will the chocolate cake receipe keep long enough for me to decorate it and still be OK to eat? or shall I make most of the cake from Madiera and a small section in Chocolate?

    Thanks and great books by the way
    Kate