A few months ago, gripped by baking fever, I purchased Mary Berry's Baking Bible. I quickly decided to embark upon a mission to bake everything in the book, and turn myself from an occasional baker into a bit of an expert. My Grandad Ern was a Master Baker by trade; the man responsible for introducing Danish Pastries to England in fact, and I wish it had occurred to me to spend more time learning from him, rather than simply enjoying the fruits of his effortless labours. This project is almost a way of making amends for that; I'd like to follow in his footsteps (if not in my career, at least as a hobby) and continue the proud heritage of baking in my family.
I credit my friend Rachel with the idea to write a blog about my baking exploits, hoping that there will be more successes than failures as I attempt all 213 of the Queen of Baking's recipes.
So as not to bore the husband with a monotonous diet of sponges, followed by weeks of biscuits, I've decided to tackle the recipes by selecting the first bake from each chapter, followed by the second recipe and so on. I'm not going to pick and choose; I'm determined to face my baking demons and learn how to do everything baking-related, even if the consequences are disastrous!
Everything will be photographed, with comment about how I found baking it, and a husband rating (to be taken with a pinch of salt as he has a very selective cake-tooth).


Sunday, 8 July 2012

18. Madeira Cake

It's been ages since I've baked, although I do keep turning out Victoria Sponges as and when the mood takes me! Life has been hectic and consequently tiring lately, and there have been a shortage of occasions to bake for since I last tackled a new recipe. However, I decided to skip the Bath Buns which I'd put on the back-burner for a few weeks, and make a good old-fashioned cake again. I did actually make this cake months ago, when I first bought Mary's book, but that was pre-blog, and I wanted to make it again. It's a very easy cake to make; much like the classic Victoria Sponge, but with the addition of ground almonds and grated lemon rind. It takes longer to bake too - about 1 hour. I deviated from Mary's recipe only to substitute a round baking tin for a loaf tin - my experiences of eating shop-bought Madeira Cake have always involved the loaf shape and it's much easier to slice. The best bit about this cake is the lovely firm crust it develops; the centre of the cake is quite dense, but not claggy.
Baker's verdict: easy to make; tastes really good; great for sharing with colleagues, and would be good used in a trifle. The blueberries went really well with it.
Husband rating: 8/10 - great flavour; loved the crust. Not as moist as some of the sponges, but easy to eat and tasty.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)