Sam's Cupcakery

Bake Off 2015 – Week One: Cakes

I’m going to try harder than I did last year in keeping up with the bakes on Great British Bake Off this year (can’t be too hard, I only managed one in the end!) So, to kick things off, it was Cake Week, so I’ve gone and made a madeira cake. I didn’t go for anything too fancy, just a simple citrus madeira, topped with candied peel and citrus icing. If I’m feeling more adventurous.. or have more time next week, I’ll give the technical challenge a go! 

Will you be baking along with Bake Off this year?

Citrus Madeira Cake

2015-08-09 22:09:25

Serves 10

Save Recipe

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

For the cake

1. 180g caster sugar
2. 150g unsalted butter (room temp)
3. 3 eggs
4. 200g plain flour
5. 1tbsp baking powder
6. Zest of 2 oranges
7. Zest of 1 lemon

For the decoration and icing

1. Rind and juice of 1 orange
2. Rind and juice of 1 lemon
3. 75g caster sugar
4. 4tbsp icing sugar

For the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with butter.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in eggs slowly and incorporate into the mixture.
4. Sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold into the butter mixture.
5. Fold in the orange and lemon zest, then once combined, pour mixture into loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a skewer, this should come out clean. Leave in tin to cool.

For the decoration and icing

1. Using a sharp knife, cut long thin strips of rind and set aside.
2. Pour 100ml water and add caster sugar, mixing until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then add in the rind and boil for a further 5 minutes or until a syrup begins to form.
3. Pour syrup over the cake whilst it's still in it's tin, leave the rind in the mixture to one side - as it cools, it should harden.
4. Once the syrup has set over the cake, remove the cake from the tin.
5. Make the citrus icing by taking the juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon and combining it with the icing sugar - 4tbsp is a rough estimate, add as much as you need to form a thin white(ish) icing.
6. Drizzle icing over the cake and decorate with the candied peel.

Sam's Cupcakery https://samscupcakery.spalding.gg/