Please does anyone have a fail safe recepie for mediera cake <sob>

[geraldinetheluckygoat]

Ok, so usually I make chocolate cakes, everyone seems to want chocolate and I have a recipe that always comes out well.
Someone has asked me to make a madeira cake (or similar, just not chocolate), and I have now tried twice with disasterous results....first one wasn't cooked in the middle, so didnt leave it in long enough, although it rose perfectly and looked so perfect till I cut it - second one didnt rise so much but was ok, but then when I cut it it had a good cm width of crust round the outside. so have chucked it in fit of panic and rage!
What am I doing wrong? I am double lining the tin which is an eight inch round one, i am measuring ingredients properly, didnt open the door while cooking (the second time ). You see, while I can make cakes look pretty, im still an amateur, and am actually a bit crap at the baking part.
Please does anyone have a reliable cake recepie that will go in an eight inch round tin, that isn't chocolate? Or some tips? Should a madeira cake have a crust, and HOW moist should it be?!

Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give....

Obviously, I can't spell either!!!

I used a recipe off the waitrose website last week and it turned out perfect.
I dont know how to do links but you can either google madeira cake or look on waitrose.
It was the first time I had made a madeira so maybe worth a try for you?

I did make it in a loaf tin though but cant see why the tin would make a difference aslong as you adjust the cooking time

I can highly recommend Nigella's recipe in "How to be a domestic goddess", can find it out for you if you like? I've made it loads - takes an hour in the oven, yes it does have a crust, it's slightly moist and is the cake i get the best compliments on! Oh , I only ever make it in a loaf tin though.

I will have a look, maybe they have a one for my size tin, now I daren't deviate from recipe in any way LOL
THANK YOU though, I will go and look now!

readyfornum2, I have checked the recepie and it says you can make it in my size tin, so I think i will give that one a go tomorrow morning and see if it turns out better.
Hugeassets, reassuring to know about nigellas one, I think my sister has the nigella book, so if i need a second option, will look it up, thanks for letting me know about it....so when you say crust, is it a light thin crust as the one on my cake was probalby about half a cm, and was quite hard?

yes, quite hard i guess, but crumbly too. The top of mine always looks slightly overdone too, but doesn't taste it. Really is a lovely cake, am getting hungry just typing about it!

the one on the waitrose website looks as if its quite crusty, omg, did i just chuck out a perfectly ok cake?! I am so clueless, wish I was better at baking, I love decorating, but really find making the cakes a trauma! I think i was expecting it to come out a bit like a victoria sandwich

Now im wondering if i should make yours, the waitrose one needs orange and lemon zest, which needs a trip to the shops....does yours require zest, Hugeassets?!

Yes the recipe says lemon juice and zest, but I'd be tempted to try it without if I didn't have a lemon to hand!

To be honest the first time I made it I was worried I had completely overdone it and buggered it up, because it is nothing like a shop bought (supermarket) madeira. They are always very soft, like normal sponge. The nigella madeira is luuuurvly!! Make it, go on, you know you want to!

LOL ok, Ill give it a go, if I can get the recipe tomorrow!! I'll let you know how it goes, whichever I chose, I bet you'll be making it yourself now too

Oooh, yeh, if I wasn't so tired I'd have the food processor on right now! Might have to do it tomorrow though.

Let me know how it turns out if you try nigella's without the lemon.

Oh, and good luck - don't throw it out without tasting it first!

Oh god oh god oh god!!!!!! So Hugeassets, I made the waitrose one this morning, it smelled lovely when cooking, and looked ok, till i took it out the tin, they are lying when they say it goes in an eight inch tin, it was like a pancake and had CRATERS underneath it!!!!!! But, i bet it would work well in a loaf tin, it did taste gorgeous, jsut the wrong size tin.
So onto attempt no.4. I have gone back to my cake decorating book and tried the version with margarine instead of butter, and so far it looks as if its ok, havent turned it out yet......
I love the look of your nigella (have now seen pics on net of it, it looks GOOD. But I dont think the quantities worked for my tin, so I couldnt face another disaster, lol! I will definitely make it for myself though, once i have this cake done!

Have you got a matalan near by? Or Argos? They sell loaf tins really cheap!

Top marks for perseverance!! You'll do it.

Hope the margarine one works out for you.

Madieras need a much cooler oven than sponges and are much solider.

seeker, I rekon this one might be ok, but havent cut it up yet. The others were all butter, and were really cruncy on the outside, but barely done in the middle, this one seems spongy on the outside, which may mean its not done, but was in for maximum time, skewer came out clean and its springy on top! arrrgghhh!!! What type of cake do you find works best for decorating? Seriously, I have ONE cake recipe that i usually use, aside from that one, i am utterly clueless
Hugeassets, I need a round one for this cake, but thanks so much for all your support, im such a cake bore the last few days

Ah I get it! Sorry, that'll teach me to read op fully!! LOL.

Most of the cakes I've done have been a size variant on the good old recipe of 3 eggs, 6oz of butter, sugar and flour plus a teaspoon of baking powder and one of vanilla extract.

So basically decide on your ounces and halve the amount of eggs. I did a cake today 14oz, 7 eggs. And a medium (12inch) heart shape the other day took 12oz with 6 eggs.

The only time I've used madiera to decorate was for a cricket bat I created, but that was because the recipient was particularly fond of madiera (and of course the shape in a loaf tin was perfect!)

In one of her recipes, Nigella does suggest replacing some of the self raising flour with cornflour and I have done it, but not noticed any difference.

Nigella also has a buttermilk cake recipe that she suggests is a thick substantial cake good for decorating too.

Just don't be afraid to play around with recipes and quantities yourself if you have the time.

Hope some of my ramblings help.

actually , thank you , that is really helpful! I think what I will have to do is have an experiment like you say and just try it out. Its really useful to know how you do it (play around with the ammounts), i guess it's something you get more confident with the more you do it? Do you just look at a tin and know how much mixture it will need? I need to get to that stage!
Thanks again for all the advice

Sorry for late reply - been away.

Yes re judging mixture for tins, tis guess work most of the time, if it looks like I'm going to over fill the tin when pouring I just pop the left over mix into little cake cases and my girls get a treat!