After Helen regaled me such delicious cupcakes, I had to retaliate with a madeira cake when she came round yesterday afternoon for her first mirrormirror wrapping session.
There’s something very satisfying about baking a madeira cake ( I use Nigella’s recipe). It’s literally easy peasy lemon squeezy (since it contains lemon juice and zest) but for some reason the fact that it’s so old-fashioned and traditional pleases me greatly.
I discovered some time ago that it is so named not because it comes from the island of Madeira, but because it is the perfect accompaniment to a glass of madeira wine (one of my favourite drinks in all the world). Unfortunately we didn’t have any madeira in the house yesterday, so had to make do with a glass of sherry. How matronly and respectable I have become.
That’s my new fact for today! I’d always thought the cake came from Madeira.
I can testify to its scrumminess…! I have today made Nigel Slater’s Deliciously Moist Plum and Almond cake which is cooling as we *speak*… May have to send hubbie back with some on Sunday… Let the battles commence!!
Oh no! Now you’re really raising the stakes. I’m going to have to get serious and brandish the sour cherry chocolate brownies from the Green & Blacks cookbook. Or just admit defeat and disappear off to Seattle.
Lottie, the slight lemoniness of the cake cuts the rich sweetness of the wine perfectly and is best enjoyed on a dull, grey Sunday afternoon watching a spectacularly camp film such as ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’.
Ok, that’s a nice info I never thought madeira cake was name because it was a good compliment to a wine..That’s interesting!
Kind of like the coffee cake thing, huh? Nice recipe.
What coffee cake thing? Michelle, I can’t tell you how excited I am to have a blog reader in Alaska! Suddenly the world seems much smaller.
And forgot to mention that the Deliciously Moist Plum cake was indeed both delicious and er, moist.