Lindy's Cakes Ltd

Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen

Ideas for Flavouring Madeira Cake

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When I first started cake decorating, Madeira cake was one of the very first cakes I baked. It is still a cake I bake as it’s so moist and yummy. I often, however, add flavourings to my Madeira to add interest to what is essentially a sponge cake. There is quite a selection of ingredients that I chose to use to flavour this highly versatile cake. Below I have listed a few of my favourite ways of flavouring Madeira cake. They include both fruits and nuts.

Torting a madeira cake - is entirely optional
Madeira cake flavoured with lemon

Ideas for favouring Madeira cake

Start by taking the standard a six egg Madeira cake recipe, one that bakes a 20cm (8in) round cake. Then add one of the following ingredients to the cake batter:

  • 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
ideas for flavouring madeira cake

Flavouring a chocolate cake

The chocolate cake recipe, found in my early books, can also be flavoured. How about a chocolate orange cake? Simply add zest of 2 oranges and 2 tsp of orange extract to the 20cm (8in) chocolate cake recipe – supburb!

The recipes for both the Madeira and Chocolate cakes are in many of my cake decorating books.

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Other flavourings – please suggest…

I love experimenting with recipes and trying out new flavours. I hope you do too. My list above isn’t by any means complete, so please do add your own flavouring Madeira cake suggestions that you’re happy to share in the comments below.

Sweet wishes

Lindy Smith

‘Bringing world-class sugarcraft to your kitchen’

About Lindy Smith

Award winning, best-selling author and sugarcraft artist, who loves to design beautiful colourful cakes, inspire, teach and supply you with gorgeous products.

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Comments

  1. Rode Sarmiento says

    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. ma cruz says

    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. Lindy Smith says

    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. pat says

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

  8. Lindys Team says

    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. Zena Alderson says

    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. Lindys Team says

    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. Ruth de melo says

    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. Lindy Smith says

    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. Laura says

    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. Lindys Team says

    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. Michelle says

    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. Jane says

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

  18. Kate says

    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

  21. Sarah says

    Hi there, first i just want to add my congrats on a fab website! I Have a few of your books and they are amazing! I have a question about the madeira cake, havent done them before as i usually use fruitcake but i have tried and mine seem a bit dry, i did use all your tips, the glycerine, the bowl of water in the oven, wrapping in newspaper, the trays under and over and the well in the middle, and although it seemed nice and moist the next day, i left it wrapped in cling film and decorated 2 days later and cut in 6 days after baking and it was dry. Should i have frozen or added sugar syrup? decorated it sooner? I know maderias are drier than sponge but i wouldnt be happy giving that as the anniversary cake i need it for. Im confused! Please help, i have until july to perfect this! x

  22. Jane says

    Hello Sarah,
    It sounds like you are using all the right techniques. A Madeira should be dense but still moist and not dry, and should mature after a few days and taste even better. Did you use large eggs and 1/4 teaspoon of glycerine per egg?
    Jane

  23. sarah says

    Hi Jane, thanks for the reply, i used medium eggs so that could be the problem, am going to try again with large eggs this time! Sarah x

  25. Chantelle says

    Hi Linda,

    I have made my own fondant icing and wanted to know if supermarket colouring is OK to colour it?
    Also I ‘m going with the Madeira recipe for the actual cake but would like it to have a fin filling, like malteasers for example. Would the two work well together and could you recommend any other fun flavours for the Madeira cake. (boys birthday party)
    How many days in advance can i complete the cake. Party is on Sunday.

  26. Jane says

    Hello Chantelle,
    The colouring available in the supermarkets tends to be water based. This will change the consistency of your sugarpaste and make it quite sticky. You need to use paste colours, which are available on our online shop.
    Jane

  27. Kelly says

    Hi, I’m making both a chocolate cake and a Madeira cake for my nephews birthday. Do you have any tops for baking these with gluten free flour? Thanks

  28. Lynsey says

    Hi i need some help ! i need to make a lap top shapped cake and i have no idea how to do it, particular advice on how to make the screen would be most appreciated

    thanks
    Lynsey

  29. Lindys Team says

    Hi Lynsey

    Thanks for your message.

    Unfortunately Lindy hasn’t made a laptop shaped cake before so we can’t really offer you any advice.

    Try clicking on Google or youtube and see what comes up to help you.

    Good luck
    Kind regards
    Lindy’s Team

  30. sandra says

    Linsey ,I would use an icing sheet pre designed with what you want on the desktop.They arent very dear in oz to buy and you just send a photo of what you want and they print and send it to you .You would find somewhere on the internet close to you .Hope that helps you .Sandra