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Sony Ericsson has garnered quite a reputation over recent years for successfully cornering the snap-happy handset market, upping the Megapixel stakes with enough regularity to stay top of the game. Unsurprising, then, that their new Satio model is packing quite the shutter-punch of a massive 12.1-MP. However, this megapixel mammoth expands mere cameraphone kudos with its smartphone multi-media functionality running on the Symbian S60 OS. But does Sony Ericsson's much-anticipated market competitor live up to the hype or is it just a pretty interface?
Hands-On And Aesthetics
When you initially handle this surprisingly lightweight model you might well be of the thinking that the overall feel is somewhat marred by the slight extra bulk of the camera. However, as we shall come to see, once you've got to grips with testing out the camera functionality all will be forgiven. The 3.5-inch touchscreen is aided only by the call, end and menu hard keys on the upper face, with the sliding keylock, connector and camera control buttons located to either side. All this culminates in the Satio being a pleasingly clean and minimal handset to hold and behold.
Usability And Functionality
The sliding lock mechanism and resistive touchscreen may be a little trying on the patience of some people who are accustomed to other methods, however, this issue is really one of personal preference. For me, even with my low-level patience, I still prefer to press with intent rather than deal with the hyper-sensitive capacitive option which I find can be massively aggravating when it takes it upon itself to do what you've not asked it to do, particularly when you're in the middle of something else. Similarly, the lock mechanism is actually pretty handy once you've learnt to pay attention to it, especially when dealing with almost entirely touch-sensitive commands. If you've got sausages for fingers and are worried about getting your digits round the digits, fear not for the stylus is on hand to aid your dexterity.
Once on the home screen, several major feature icons help you access the main functions, so making your way around the handset is pretty self-explanatory. Basic phone functions are easy to use, although lack of hard QWERTY keyboard may take some getting used to if you're not touchscreen familiar.
Multi-media functionality is good, thanks largely to the 16:9 screen which makes viewing a pleasurable breeze. Likewise the net, accessed via Wi-Fi, is pretty speedy and when you tilt to widescreen it's a lot less straining to scan. Movies can be downloaded at Sony Ericsson's PlayNow arena, and if the demo video quality is anything to go by the resolution is high enough for excellent quality entertainment on the go. Musically, the downside is the lack of 3.5mm headphone jack, although Sony Ericsson fans will know that traditionally, if you've opted for the cameraphone, that'll take precedence over Walkman functionality (their W series has that covered.)With an adaptor, though, you'll be able to enjoy the FM radio, TrackID and player shuffle capabilities. (Point to note here, though, is that onboard memory is not massive at 128MB, although since Sony have done away with their proprietary memory stick in favour of the microSD card format, that's easily overcome.)
And so to the Satio's true selling point, the mighty 12.1MP camera. As a cameraphone, this is where Sony Ericsson is, of course, seeking to take the leading edge over the competition, but how does it actually fare? Really pretty fantastically, actually. Picture quality coupled with camera functionality is as superb as you'd expect from the people who uphold the reputation for excelling in this particular field. For a handset camera, this is as near as you'll get to digital quality at the moment. Pics are crispy gorgeous, with truly impressive clarity in the natural light that'll delight any roaming snap-fanatic (please see my flickr stream of snowy captures as examples.) Uploading is simple via USB connection, and Picasa and Facebook links are already included to directly share your lovely adventures, which you can happily whizz through with the handy scroll function. Indoor pics will appear a little grainy, though, if you've not enough natural light, but with the Xenon flash employed to work its magic, this is much improved.
Whether you are a snap-and-go pro or less sure of finding your way around a high-spec cameraphone, Sony Ericsson has put in massive effort to ensure you have all you need at your fingertips. There is a vast range of features available to help you make the best of your photographic efforts, including Smile Detection for capturing your less miserable friends and BestPic which is ideal for capturing moving objects in quick succession at an interval speed set by yourself so you may pick the best photo, as the title suggests. Panorama, also, is handy for the great outdoors as it will fuse a triptych seamlessly as a single wide photo. Video shoot/playback/upload follows similar lines and a side button gives the option to move easily and quickly between photo and video.
Despite some minor niggles, much of which can be open to personal preference anyway, the Sony Ericsson Satio really is smartphone/cameraphone combo well worth investing in. Whether or not the Satio will encroach upon the iPhone market really is a moot point when you consider the steadfast brand loyalty. However, for those open to life outside the Apple brand, the Satio, with its superior camera and smartphone capabilities, doubtless has the edge on its rivals, such as the Nokia N97 and Samsung Pixon 12. Absolutely ideal multi-media phone for those who seek the integration of near-digital quality snaps.


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Joe Hempel is far from 'administrative only' fire chief for Gilmanton
- Published in Letters
To The Daily Sun,
Dear Gilmanton residents:
Beware of elected officials who write letters to the editor and presume to speak with such authority and command of the facts. Rep. Burchell, R-Gilmanton, again demonstrates he has no regard for the facts as demonstrated in his letter to The Sun on December 18th.
I shouldn't be surprised as I have watched him demonstrate the same bluster and disregard for facts as he presumes to represent Gilmanton as a member of the Belknap County Delegation. I appreciate being able to watch all of the delegation meetings on Channel 26. I have learned a lot.
I think it is time for our Gilmanton Board of Selectmen meetings to be televised so we can all see them in action. Apparently if a few citizens attend selectmen's meeting such behavior is considered bullying and intimidation by Rep. Burchell as he stated about the members of the Gilmanton Fireman's Association who attended the December 16th meeting. I suppose it was acceptable for Brenda Currier, wife of Selectmen Brett Currier, to challenge whether or not the members of our fireman's association, and also Gilmanton residents, had a right to express an opinion about our Fire Department. Let's be clear, they have every right to be concerned about this unjustified attack on our hard working Fire Chief Joe Hempel and the impact the selectmen's proposed change could have on public safety.
Rep. Burchell was wrong in his short letter to the editor. Here are the correct facts:
1. Meg Hempel was in attendance at the meeting and authored a letter to the editor in which she commented on the selectmen's conduct towards the Belknap County commissioner and administrator. She did not speak at the meeting nor did she comment on the issue regarding the fire chief. She has no requirement to disclose anything Rep. Burchell. But for the record, you are wrong. Meg Hempel is not the wife of Chief Hempel. If you must know she is the mom of Chief Hempel, but I suspect most us knew that already including everyone in the room except you.
2. You repeat that the selectmen want to "keep the fire chief's position as working chief" and "working as opposed to administrative only". Just because you repeat something does not make it true. The current fire chief is not an administrative position only, either in title or in how he performs his duties. No one has suggested he should be administrative only including him. We all know that. In fact, you fail to recite the undisputed fact put forth at the meeting that demonstrates that Chief Hempel has the second highest call response in the department only surpassed by one of our full-time career firefighters who lives in close proximity to the station. Doesn't sound like an "administrative only" fire chief to me! I listen to the scanner and hear our chief regularly respond to calls on days, nights and weekends. He is a salaried employee who puts in many extra hours for this town.
3. You state the position of the selectmen was "give us two shifts a week and we will be happy". You fail to state that the fire chief currently works a full schedule and shifts. You also fail to mention that the fire chief was present at the meeting and requested to see and discuss the warrant article he had heard about but never seen. The selectmen chose not to discuss this when he was present nor did they make the above statement in his presence so he could lay out the facts.
I attended this meeting because public safety matters.
Please — no more politics and incorrect facts when you talk about our public safety.
Bill Donovan

subset: commoncrawl


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"It was eight days, 2,400 miles and the time of our lives," said Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor from the stage on the final night of the Railroad Revival Tour.
I was there for the last two days, and I don't know how they did it all on so little sleep.
Picture this: Three bands (Old Crow, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Mumford and Sons), 17 vintage rail cars, dozens of family and friends and music industry (workers), enough staff to care for everybody, and at least one internationally known movie star, thrown together for a rolling revue across the South.
Two of the cars were set up as performance space: plenty of room for pianos, banjos, drum sets, accordions, hanger-outers. There were lounge cars for rolling living rooms, dining cars for constant feeding, bar cars for even more constant partying. Cars and cars of sleeping berths probably got the least use of all.
The whole kit and caboodle sped from Los Angeles to New Orleans at 70 miles per hour, stopping six times along the way to put on shows. The main jamming car was open to the air, providing everyone with scenery to fit the mood: Open, raw, rootsy.
But on the train, the mood was free, joyous. Two young siblings took over the instruments on night seven, busting out an impromptu punk number they made up on the spot: "We can do whatever we want! We can do whatever we want!" How could we all not sing along?
The Railroad Revival concept -- which owes a great debt to the Festival Express tour of 1970, which sent The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and The Band across Canada -- coalesced around the three bands at an auspicious time for all of them. They've all got more than just their feet in the door of success, but their fan bases aren't quite at Gaga levels. They're not pushing new albums, but they've got some new material to try out on the road. The trick would be to avoid the structural breakdown that made Festival Express a financial disaster.
Luckily, these are good guys (and yes, it was pretty much all guys). Mumford and Sons were coming off the serious exposure boost of their Grammy performance, which minted thousands of new fans in a single night. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were already a festival dream booking, whipping crowds into a frenzy with each performance, but more people have seen the viral video of a kid singing "Home" than had actually heard the band. And the Old Crow Medicine Show guys had serious road cred, but were pushing at the boundaries of their old-timey niche.
The rise in popularity and credibility of roots music can probably be traced in part to all of them, the miles they've traveled and the sweat they've poured out, and they had everything to gain from each other. It's like the perfect Pandora channel playlist, but like, with real live people.
Part of the magic comes in the collaboration and mutual respect of the artists, who paid hands-on, string-busting tribute to the well-worn tradition of learning music from each other. Like Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie, or Bob Dylan and The Band, the "Roots Revival" of 2011 is being created on purpose by artists who are actively building it.
Mumford and Sons played the third set of most of the Railroad Revival shows, but it wasn't about jockeying for position: All three bands shared equally in the billing, the risks and the potential gains from the tour. That spirit spilled into all aspects of the project -- the crews, managers, and label teams all worked together, in harmony, if you will.
Marcus Mumford dubbed the train's bartender "King William." He was one of the many professional, friendly staffers who found themselves mixed in with the scene. Train travel is definitely not the most efficient way to travel from city to city, but it provides a context, a canvas for the vision to land on.
It took 17 hours to get from Austin, Texas to New Orleans, rolling through poverty, bayou and plenty of industrial decay toward the home of ragtime Dixie. The atmosphere seeped into the train, and late night in the jam car the artists intuitively wound their way from more traditional, down-home tunes into a second-line beat and the jazzy funk of the Big Easy.
Players switched up instruments, throwing out classics like "Cuchy Frito Man," "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky From Now On" and "Cissy Strut." This went on until dawn.
The train provided the literal backdrop for the shows, too -- the stage at each gig was set up right by the line of super-cool vintage railcars. Fans greeted them as they pulled in, taking pictures of each other in front of the gleaming steel. Tried-and-true fans and newcomers lined up at the merch table for train-themed t-shirts and Hatch Print posters, looking to take a little piece of the magic home. The big finale each night -- with all three bands, and tour-along friend Jake Gyllenhaal thrown into the horn section -- was a resounding, wild version of "This Train."
Just because something's been planned, just because something's being filmed (look for the Emmet Malloy documentary in the Fall, bound to be way better than the crappy iPhone videos you'll find now), doesn't mean it isn't real. The word "authentic" gets thrown around a lot, but it's hard to imagine a better application than what these guys pulled together.
We'll see if it takes them from where they started -- say, somewhere around 'chapter three' in their careers -- to the next place they need to be. Watching the last show from backstage on Night Eight was a band from Lafayette, Louisiana, ready to headline a local festival in the swirl surrounding Jazzfest. Givers is in 'chapter one' of their story, where these veterans all were a few years ago. It'll be interesting to see where they end up next, and how they choose to travel there.
Of course, they can do whatever they want.


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Loucks Associates, a civil engineering firm based in Maple Grove, has acquired St. Paul-based Sanders Wacker Bergly, Minnesota's first and oldest landscape architecture and planning firm.
Terms were not disclosed.
Sanders Wacker Bergly dates to 1909, and the firm has worked on projects including Minnehaha Park, Lake of the Isles and downtown streetscapes in St. Paul, Red Wing and Edina.
Loucks Associates, founded in 1976, has worked on notable projects including the Schmidt Brewery, redevelopment of the former 3M industrial site on the East Side — now known as Beacon's Bluff — and the Maple Grove Hospital.
"SWB's portfolio beautifully complements our depth of experience and range of services," said Jeff Shopek, president of Loucks Associates. The combined firm will have 40 employees and will maintain offices in both Maple Grove and St. Paul.
— John Welbes


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Looks like some San Antonio businesses were busy over the weekend helping clean up the mess that Hurricane Ike made.
Here's what we've learned so far. No doubt, there will be more to come.
AT&T Inc. sent 2,000 technicians, some from as far away as Wisconsin and Minnesota, to the Texas coast to help restore phone service. It's also delivered 2,800 generators to areas with no power and mobile cell towers to keep its wireless network in operation.
Media giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. sent two refrigerated 18 wheelers full of ice to Houston along with 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel for power generators. Company volunteers are distributing the ice and fuel to families affected by the storm.
If you're with a company that's helping with cleanup or volunteered time and materials to the effort, let us know. We'll post the info on Clocking In.


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Ai Weiwei: 'Beijing is a Nightmare'
Ai Weiwei, China's most famous contemporary artist and most recognizable dissident, has made the boldest violation yet of his unofficial parole agreement by penning a searing critique of life in the Chinese capital for a U.S. magazine.
Mr. Ai was released in late June after 81 days in detention on condition — he and his friends say – that he did not use Twitter and other forms of social media, did not meet foreigners, and did not talk to the media for at least a year.
More In Beijing
- Journey to the Rest: China's Migrant Workers Top 280 Million
- How to Deal With Trump -- Reassurance From a Chinese Think Tank
- For Tillerson, South China Sea Storms Aren't New
- A New Highway Links China's Capital to a Hoped-For Future
- 'Peter Pan' Flies In to Beijing, With Pirates and Mermaids
- Taiwanese President Tsai: Taiwan Won't Succumb to China's Pressure
He began violating that agreement about a month ago, first opening an account on Google+, then resuming his criticism of the government on Twitter, and giving details through friends of his detention in a secret facility with two guards by his side at all times.
Now, by authoring a highly critical piece in Newsweek magazine, he has taken things to a new level in what appears to be a direct challenge to the powerful security services who many Chinese and foreign analysts believe were behind his original detention.
"Beijing is two cities," he writes. "One is of power and of money. People don't care who their neighbors are; they don't trust you. The other city is one of desperation. I see people on public buses, and I see their eyes, and I see they hold no hope."
He describes a city increasingly divided between the migrant "slaves" who work on construction sites, and the many government officials, "coal bosses" and state company chieftains who come to the capital to bribe their overseers with gifts.
He also suggests that many other people had been illegally detained, like him, in undisclosed locations without their families being informed, and with no protection from a judiciary that is entirely controlled by the Communist Party.
"My ordeal made me understand that on this fabric, there are many hidden spots where they put people without identity. With no name, just a number," he says.
The artist best known in the West for helping to design the Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Olympics and then famously repudiating it as a "fake smile" designed to fool the world about China, also takes another swipe at the iconic work: "I never think about it. After the Olympics, the common folks don't talk about it because the Olympics did not bring joy to the people."
Mr. Ai was detained at Beijing's airport on April 3 amid a sweeping crackdown on political activists that was apparently prompted by anonymous online calls for a "Jasmine Revolution" in China following uprisings in the Arab world.
He was released on June 22 after an international outcry, but human activists say many other dissidents face similar extra-judicial treatment at the hand of a domestic security apparatus whose power and political influence has expanded rapidly in recent years.
Many rights groups fear that security forces may soon be granted the legal powers to detain people at undisclosed locations without informing relatives under proposed reforms to the Criminal Procedure Law described in a state-run newspaper last week.
Chinese authorities say Mr. Ai was released because he was sick and had admitted to economic crimes including tax evasion. They have demanded almost $2 million in unpaid taxes and fines. His family deny the accusations, saying his detention was politically motivated.
He concludes with his most emotional description yet of what it was like to be incarcerated with no legal protection, no family contact and no idea of when he would be released.
"You're in total isolation. And you don't know how long you're going to be there, but you truly believe they can do anything to you. There's no way to even question it. You're not protected by anything. Why am I here? Your mind is very uncertain of time. You become like mad," he says.
"Cities really are mental conditions," he says in conclusion. "Beijing is a nightmare. A constant nightmare."
– Jeremy Page


text: Hello! I have multipathing configuration with path_grouping_policy = failover with two fibre channel simultaneous connections (active and standby). If I break active connection, multipathd detect this and switch data transfer to standby. But later, then connection restored, multipathd is not detect this fact automatically, command "multipath -l" show than old fibre channel remain failed. Multipathd will see that old channel is OK only if I manually remap paths with "multipath" command. This is not good, because if after then the first path broken and restored the second path fail too, conection to SAN will be completely unable to work. I suppose this is because of unproper configuration of multipathing. Explain me, please, that is cause of this trouble and how I may correct it. This is my configuration: - disk storage - ds4800 - hba - two Emulex Corporation LP952 Fibre Channel Host Adapter - OS - rhel as 4 update 3 - multipath toolkit source - device-mapper-multipath-0.4.5-12.0.RHEL4.i386.rpm - multipathd config: defaults { multipath_tool "/sbin/multipath -v0" udev_dir /dev polling_interval 10 default_selector "round-robin 0" default_path_grouping_policy failover default_getuid_callout "/sbin/scsi_id -g -u -s /block/%n" default_prio_callout "/bin/true" default_features "0" rr_wmin_io 100 failback immediate user_friendly_names yes } multipaths { multipath { wwid 3600a0b8000115280000040b9448f8cea alias mp03 path_grouping_policy failover path_selector "round-robin 0" failback immediate } multipath { wwid 3600a0b8000115280000040cd448f8d1e alias mp04 path_grouping_policy failover path_selector "round-robin 0" failback immediate } } devices { device { vendor "IBM" product "1815 FAStT" path_grouping_policy failover path_checker tur } } Thanks, Dmitry Sedov, NP ATS.


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The Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx Hardback
Schillebeeckx Collected Works
by Edward Schillebeeckx;
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The Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx
Full Product Description
Christ. The Christian Experience in the Modern World is the second volume of Schillebeeckx' 'Jesus trilogy'. It focuses on the question of salvation for all people. Using seven 'anthropological constants', Schillebeeckx innovatively shows the social and political relevance of faith. Inspired by liberation and feminist theologies, he puts strong emphasis on human experience and on the importance of examining church teaching in its historical context. This volume is a testimony of Schillebeeckx' groundbreaking attempt to rethink doctrine in the light of the research on the historical Jesus. Instead of starting with Christianity's great creedal statements about Christ and the Trinity, he focuses on the subjective experience of the first generations of believers as expressed in the New Testament.. This choice stirred considerable controversy and a Vatican investigation but inspired and still keeps to inspire readers in their personal approach to Christian faith.
The Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx by Edward Schillebeeckx was published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC in July 2014. The ISBN for The Collected Works of Edward Schillebeeckx is 9780567224606.
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|Edward Schillebeeckx
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|29th May 2012


text:
Ulster television is weighing an audacious £300m bid for SMG, the Scottish media group that owns Grampian and Scottish TV, Virgin Radio and the Pearl & Dean advertising company.
A City source said: 'John McCann [Ulster's chief executive] has crunched the numbers before and if SMG's shares fall much lower, he could well have a go. He's extremely ambitious.' McCann was close to making a bid two years ago, but held back after SMG's shares nearly doubled in value, making it too expensive.
Ulster recently acquired the Wireless Group, which owns radio station Talksport, from former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie. It controls a dozen radio stations across Ireland and the UK, and McCann is thought to be especially keen to acquire Virgin Radio, formerly owned by Chris Evans. Analysts say that there would also be synergy benefits if McCann were able to merge Ulster with SMG's television stations.
First, however, he would need to win over ITV, which owns 17 per cent of SMG and has been widely touted as a buyer of the group's TV interests. But with cash constraints brought about by a slump in advertising on ITV1, chief executive Charles Allen is reckoned to have enough on his plate. An observer said: 'It would be nice for ITV to bring the entire network under its control, but it is hardly a priority at the current time. My guess would be that if Ulster bids, Allen may let it through.'
If so, McCann may need to raise additional capital, as Ulster has about £100m of borrowing following the Wireless Group purchase.
Last week, SMG saw the resignation of its chief executive Andrew Flanagan following pressure from leading shareholders. Flanagan had been with the company for 10 years, building it into a mini media conglomerate north of the border. Some shareholders want him to be replaced by Rob Woodward, former Channel 4 commercial director. They would also like Richard Findlay, one-time boss of Scottish Radio Holdings, to replace SMG chairman Chris Masters.
Woodward is understood to be taking advice from former Mirror editor David Montgomery, whose investment vehicle Mecom is rumoured to have built up a small stake in SMG. But Montgomery is not putting up any money to support Woodward.
Flanagan's fate was sealed after he took on too much debt after buying Virgin from Evans three years ago and the company came close to breaching its banking covenants. He was forced into selling the Herald group of newspapers to Gannett for £216m to cut borrowings.
SMG's shares, which were trading at 72p on Friday, have fallen by 40 per cent in two years.


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How to get great results with this Madeira cake recipe
When I was one years old, my mum made her first shaped birthday cake. It was a number one! I wish I had a photo of it to share with you. 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 her Madeira cake recipe then shaped them, covered the top with jam and covered the cake in marzipan and then with regular icing . To this day I still think this is the best taste combination -cake wise, it's just a bit difficult novelty shaping wise.
The only Madeira cake recipe you'll ever need.
This recipe will make a 8 inch round cake. Heat the oven to Gas mark 4 / 350.F/ 180.C
For a list of other size cake tins ingredients see this post here
You can bake one cake and cut it in half to fill the centre with buttercream and jam or you can split the ingredients between two separate tins.
Ingredients6oz/ 150g butter 7oz / 200g caster sugar 1 tea spoon vanilla essence 3 eggs 8oz /225 g plain flour 1 1/2 teasp of baking powder 3 tbsp hot water
The method to the cake madness!
1. Line and grease a 8 inch tin and set aside. Allow the oven to heat up to the correct temperature – Gas mark 4 / 350.F / 180.C. I measure out all the ingredients before I start as it saves time and I can concentrate on blending and not measurements. (Also a good idea if the kids want to distract… I mean help you!)
4. Once all the eggs have been combined, add the rest of the flour with the baking powder and continue to mix.Ensure all the ingredients have been mixed to a smooth consistency then add the hot water-slowly- till it is completely blended.What a nice smooth consistency!
5.Pour the cake mix to the tin and pop it in the oven for 55 minutes.Fill those tins
7. To test if the cake is ready lightly press the top of the cake. If the surface springs back straight away it's ready. If it slowly comes back it needs more time. Another way to test if a deep cake is cooked right through is to put a knife or skewer into the centre of the cake then pull it out. If it comes out clean then the cake is ready. If the knife is gloopy it probably needs another 5-10 minutes or so. If it's only a little 'wet' give it another 2-3 minutes baking.Mmmmmmm!
I use the same recipe but I split the mixture up into 2 or 3 tins. The cake comes out really light and cooks thoroughly – right through to the centre. If you are going to make it in one tin I suggest you do it the scoop and bake method.
Scoop and bake
I read about this technique on a blog ages ago and was a bit dubious about it working – but it really does work! Ensure that the oven is at the right temperature before you start. Line the baking tin as usual and pour the Madeira mixture into the tin. Scoop the centre of the cake mix up to the sides so that you can see the bottom of the tin and then pop it in the oven. Avoid opening the door to peek! Don't worry the cake will fill the hole, bake perfectly and be nice and flat. Don't ask me how!
Burnt on the outside, not cooked on the inside?
Another tip I picked up from a blog is that if your cakes bake too fast on the outside and not in the centre you can wrap the outside of the tin with folded newspaper. There should be about 4-5 layers of newspaper. It should sit just below the top of the tin and you can hold it in place with plain string. Make sure the string is plain/ natural as any plastic coating will melt and ruin – not to mention probably poison, your cake.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I have. Let me know what your favourite combinations for Madeira cake recipe are. I always use raspberry jam but have recently used black cherry which is good too. My mum uses apricot. The choices are just endless.
A little note about other size cake tins
Since writing this post I have been asked loads of times for different ingredient quantities for different sized cake tins for this Madeira cake recipe. I finally did a post with an easy to follow chart which you can see here. I hope that helps all you keen bakers out there. EmmaMT (15th September 2013)
Another note….
I have had so many comments on this post I thought I would just take a second to explain that I wrote this post in May 2011 and have had so much more experience and success with another version of this cake since then. If you have read through all the comments you may end up a bit confused! My advice would be to go to my other Madeira cake recipe post here where you will have a ton of success! I hope that clears things up a bit. EmmaMT ( 25th April 2014)
343 Comments on My Mum's Madeira cake recipe is the best in the world
Mmmmmm sounds delicious – I can't wait to make mine! xx
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
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?
This may seem like a silly question but can anyone tell me what size eggs are used in the Madeira cake xx
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.
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
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!
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?
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
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
Thank you Emma, that's great. I'll give it a go.
Hi, does this Madiera cake freeze well? Looks very tasty!
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
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?
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
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?
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
How far in advance can you bake this cake? I'm making it for Sunday but need time to ice and decorate etc – thanks
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?
Trying this now. It's in the oven! Can't wait! X
Thanks, do you have a photo of your finished cake?
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
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
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
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????
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.
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???
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
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…
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.
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
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!!!
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.
Facebook page link
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
Yep, I'd double it so that the cake is around 2 1/2 – 3″ deep.
Have fun
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. 🙂
Definitely. I would grate the zest of a lemon and add that as well as the freshly squeezed juice. Yummarge!
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
Hi Emma,
Thank you so much for your reply,
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,
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.
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?
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.
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
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
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
is this enough madiera mixture to sandwich the 9 inch cake together ?
Yes it is. The cake will come out a little less deep but you can always add more buttercream if you want it taller.
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 🙂
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?
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?
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.
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
Hi Emma, if I want to do a marble cake what do I use on your cake to make it brown, that is marble?
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
Canyon. You add fresh fruit for the flavoring. I need to make a strawberry birthday cake
Thank you Emma. You are my saviour. Thanks for responding, and thank you for everything.
My pleasure. X
Emma, you are the best.
Hi Emma, the receipe that you have got can i split this into to tins or do i have to double the ingredients
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
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,
Tracey 🙂
Hello Emma,
I was also wondering if you had a recipe for mince pies?
Tracey 🙂
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.
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!
Tracey 🙂
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!
Thank you Emma 🙂
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.
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 🙂
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!
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.
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
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
Facebook link
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!
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
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
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
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.
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
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 🙂
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.
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!
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.
ps, if i doubled this recipe would it be good for a 10inch tin? Thanks so much! x
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
Hi Emma, that's brilliant, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Really love your blog! 🙂 x
Ah, thanks
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!!
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
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!
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
What a fabulously explained recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Can't WAIT to try it.
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
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
Hi, i noticed when you add your eggs you say one at a time, but do you beat them first or add in whole?
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
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 🙂
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?
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 🙂
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
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
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!
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!
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
Hi Emma
Cake is now in the oven – time for a cup of coffee! Is it ok to freeze the cake?
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
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
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.
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!
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 !
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
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
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
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
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!!!
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
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
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).
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!
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 🙂
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.
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
Great thank you for that advice an recipe Emma. it very much appreciated. elaine
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
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
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.
Lovely recipe, thanks for sharing!
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
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!
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
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
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?
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! 😉
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
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!
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.
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 !!
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!
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
Hi Emma,
The chart that you posted for the different tin sizes, is this just for round tins or square aswell?
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
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…
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
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?
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
Hi Emma, is it large or medium eggs you use in this recipe? Thanks Helen
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.
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.
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 🙂
I wouldnered if you could adapt the same in terms of the recipe for a redvelvet cake if that is possible.
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!
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
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.
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)
Is that 180c fan oven?
Can you please work out a recipe I will need your an 9 inch square Madeira?
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
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
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.
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
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?
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
Hi Emma! How would you turn this into a chocolate recipe? 100g cocoa in the place of flour? X
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!!!
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!
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?
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
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.
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)?
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
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…
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.
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