Cherry And Almond Madeira Cake
A classic Madeira cake that’s flavoured with almond, packed full of glacé cherries and topped with crunchy demerara sugar. A simple cake that’s sure to impress.
I made a trifle with a shop bought cherry madeira cake recently, which got me thinking how I should make my own! Now not only is my homemade version loads better than shop bought but it’s also incredibly easy to make. The sponge is flavoured with 2 types of almond (ground & extract), there’s loads of glacé cherries mixed through and the top is sprinkled with demerara sugar before baking, for extra crunch.
This has been one of those recipes that’s taken many attempts to get 100% perfect, mainly as glacé cherries have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the tin! Though I’ve now found the best way to prevent sinking fruit in almost any cake. There’s also the addition of sour cream in this batter, which gives this Madeira cake (which is classically dense & firm), a soft, moist crumb.
One last thing to mention before we get into the recipe, is that I’ve found that the flavour of this cake greatly improves if you wrap it in cling film and let it mature overnight before serving. It’s ideal for making ahead of time! Although if you want to cut into straight away, it will still taste great.
Looking for more baking recipes to try? We have recipes for a whole load of bakes. From homemade bread & sourdough, to cakes, brownies & cookies.
Ingredients For Cherry & Almond Madeira Cake
- Cherries – This recipe is designed to use glacé cherries and I’ll show you the best way to stop them from sinking in the cake!
- Almonds – We’re using ground almonds in the cake batter for moisture, plus a splash of almond extract for extra flavour.
- Butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter for this recipe, as we’ll be adding salt in ourself.
- Sour Cream – Sour cream is a secret weapon in cake baking, as it adds moisture & gives a softer crumb without affecting the consistency of the batter.
- Sugar – You’ll need 2 types of sugar for this madeira cake. Caster sugar for the batter and demerara sugar to sprinkle on top, for a crunchy crust.
- Eggs – This recipe uses large eggs, which should each weigh around 50 grams out of the shell.
- Lemon – Lemon works especially well with cherry and almonds, so I’ve added some zest into the batter. If you rub the zest into the sugar first, it releases the oils, imparting more flavour.
- Flour – You’ll need plain (all purpose) flour for this cake, as we’ll be adding baking powder in ourself.
- Baking Powder – I’ve found that you get a better rise by adding baking powder into the batter, instead of using self raising flour.
- Salt – Fine table salt is best for cake batter, as it will disappear into the batter! Don’t be tempted to skip the salt, as it adds flavour to the cake.
How To Stop Glacé Cherries From Sinking In Cake
Glacé cherries are heavy and covered in syrup, so they have a really annoying tendency for sinking to the bottom of cakes. Not ideal when you want cherries evenly distributed through the sponge!
Over the many tests I did for this madeira cake, I’ve found 4 easy tips & tricks to prevent the cherries from sinking.
- Wash The Syrup Off – Before using the cherries, wash the syrup off under cold water then let them drain on kitchen paper whilst you prepare the batter.
- Cut Into Small Pieces – Whole glacé cherries are heavy, so cut them into small pieces, no bigger than 1 cm. I cut my cherries into 8 pieces if they’re big and 6 if they’re small.
- Dust In Flour – A light dusting of plain flour absorbs moisture from the fruit, without affecting the consistency of the batter.
- Save Some For The Top – Save a quarter of your cherry pieces and sprinkle them on top of the cake just before baking. This keeps them at the top of the cake and they’ll caramelise nicely in the oven.
The Best Way To Line A Loaf Tin
The best way to line a loaf tin (for loaf cakes), is to generously grease the inside of your tin with soft butter then line the base & 2 longer sides with a piece of baking parchment, leaving a couple of centimetres overhanging (as shown below). This also acts like a sling, making it easier to remove the cake once baked. For this loaf of Madeira cake, we’re using a 2lb loaf tin.
How To Make Cherry & Almond Madeira Cake
This madeira cake has been one of those recipes that’s taken a while and many attempts to get absolutely perfect. It sure was worth it though! The batter is super easy to make and you end up with a perfectly soft, moist madeira cake with loads of flavour and a crunchy top.
1. Prep The Cherries
Before making the batter, you’ll need to wash the syrup off the glacé cherries then leave them to dry on a piece of kitchen paper. This is a simple way to prevent them from sinking in the batter as the cake bakes! The syrup would make the cherries slide through the batter, to the bottom of the tin.
2. Beat Butter & Sugar
Now onto the batter. First, add caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, zest in a lemon then use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, to release the oil (and add more flavour!).
Once you’ve done that, add softened butter to the sugar then mix on a medium speed with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. This will take around 5 minutes and make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down regularly, so you get an evenly mixed batter!
3. Add Eggs
Next, crack eggs into a jug, add in vanilla & almond extracts then beat together with a fork. Gradually mix the eggs into the butter, with the mixer running on medium speed. It’s key to mix the eggs in gradually, so the mix doesn’t split. Don’t worry too much if it does though, it will come back together once you fold in the flour.
4. Fold In Dry Ingredients & Sour Cream
To ensure that the baking powder is distributed evenly through the batter, you’ll need to sift the flour & baking powder into a bowl, add in ground almonds and salt then whisk to combine.
Next, add half of the dry ingredients into the batter then fold in with a spatula until mostly combined. Add in the rest of flour and room temperature sour cream then fold again until just combined. Any streaks of flour will be mixed in when you add the cherries.
5. Mix In Cherries
The cherries will be well drained by now, so you can chop them into small pieces (no bigger than 1cm) then dust with flour. I like to do this whilst the batter is mixing!
To finish the batter, it’s just a case of adding in a quarter of the cherries then folding them in gently, to evenly distribute. The rest will go on top of the cake.
6. Transfer To Tin
As soon as you’ve made the batter, transfer it to a lined 2lb loaf tin and spread it out into an even layer with a spatula. Sprinkle over the remaining cherries, pipe a thin line of softened butter down the length (to control how the cake splits) then sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar on top.
7. Bake
This madeira cake takes around 1 hour to bake at 180°c/356°f and you’ll know it’s done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Then once baked, let the cake cool in the tin for 30 minutes before lifting it out onto a wire cooling rack so that it can cool completely.
Madeira Cake Tips And Tricks
- Add sour cream into the batter, to give the madeira cake a softer, moister crumb.
- Sprinkle demerara sugar on top of the cake before baking, to give it a crunchy crust.
- Pipe a line of softened butter down the top of the cake batter, to control how the sponge cracks as it bakes.
- Before using, rinse your glacé cherries to wash off the syrup, chop into small pieces then dust in flour to stop them from sinking.
- Make sure that your eggs, sour cream and butter are all at room temperature before using as this will give you a more evenly mixed batter.
- Reserve a quarter of your cherries to sprinkle on top of the sponge before baking. This also helps prevent them from sinking, plus they caramelise as the cake bakes!
- If you’ve got the time, let the cake mature for a day before serving. This improves the flavour!
Frequently Asked Questions
To bake madeira cake in Aga, cook the cake on a grid shelf placed onto the floor of the baking oven.
Cherry & almond madeira cake should be stored in an airtight container (or wrapped in clingfilm) to keep fresh and is best eaten within 3 days.
Glacé cherries sink in cake as they are heavy and coated in syrup. To stop them from sinking, rinse the syrup off under cold water, chop into small pieces then dust in plain flour before using.
More Cakes And Bakes To Try
- Almond Angel Cake Slices
- Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
- Classic School Cake
- Tres Leches Cake (3 Milk Cake)
- Brown Butter & Miso Pecan Pie Bars
- Double Brown Butter Streusel Pumpkin Bread
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Cherry And Almond Madeira Cake
Equipment
- 2 lb Loaf Tin
- Stand Mixer
- Sieve
- Piping Bag
- Wire Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 175 g Glacé Cherries
- 160 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
- 160 g Caster Sugar
- Zest Of 1 Lemon
- 3 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract
- 200 g Plain Flour (Plus 1 tbsp For Dusting The Cherries)
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 45 g Ground Almonds
- ½ tsp Table Salt
- 110 g Sour Cream (Room Temperature)
For On Top
- 15 g Unsalted Butter (Softened, In A Piping Bag)
- 20 g Demerara Sugar
Instructions
- First, wash the glacé cherries under cold water to remove the syrup then leave to drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
- Preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
- Grease a 2 lb loaf tin with butter then line the bottom & two longer sides with a piece of baking parchment, leaving a couple of centimetres overhanging the tin's edges (this makes it easier to take the cake out of the tin once it is cooked!).
- Next, add the caster sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer then add in the lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar then add in the softened butter.
- Beat the butter on a medium speed (with the paddle attachment) for 4-6 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Make sure to scrape the bowl down regularly with a spatula.
- Whilst the butter is mixing, crack the eggs into a jug then add in the vanilla & almond extracts and beat lightly with a fork. Sift the flour & baking powder into a separate bowl then add in the ground almonds & salt and whisk to combine. Then finally, chop the cherries into small pieces, add into a mixing bowl and mix with 1 tbsp of plain flour, to coat.To prevent the cherries from sinking, chop them into 6-8 pieces depending on their size.
- Next, gradually pour the eggs into the butter, with the mixer still running on a medium speed. Once all the eggs have been added, give the bowl another scrape down then mix again for a minute.Make sure to mix the eggs in gradually, to keep the batter from splitting.
- Next, take the bowl off the mixer then add in half of the flour and fold in gently (with a spatula) until just combined. Add in the remaining flour & the sour cream then fold again, until just incorporated.
- Add ¾ of the cherries into the batter then fold gently, to evenly distributed. Then transfer the cake batter into the lined tin, spreading it out gently into an even layer with a spatula. Place the remaining cherries on top, leaving a space in the middle for the butter to go.
- Pipe a thin line of softened butter straight down the middle of the cake, sprinkle over the demerara sugar then bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes – 1 hour, until golden brown & a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.Piping butter down the middle of the cake lets us control how the top of the cake cracks as it bakes – this is optional though! If your cake starts to brown too much towards the end of the bake, cover the top loosely with foil.
- Once baked, let the cake cool in the tin for 30 minutes then run a small palette knife along each end & carefully lift it out of the tin (using the overhanging parchment). Transfer to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.
- If you've got the time, you'll get the best flavour by wrapping the cake in clingfilm and letting it mature overnight before serving. It'll still taste great if served straight away though!
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