Madiera cake can be used for all the cakes which involve a lot of cutting and shaping before the marzipan and icing are added. In order to achieve good angles and curves the cake should be compact in texture and able to withstand pressure while remaining moist and flavourful
All you need is:
Lamb Brand Self Raising Flour 420g, sifted
Lamb Brand Caster Sugar 350g
Unsalted butter 350g, room temperature
7 eggs, room temperature
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
For the Filling:
Lamb Brand Icing Sugar 300g
Unsalted butter 150g
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
All you have to do is:
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Preheat 2 sandwich tins 20 cm; set aside
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and check their weight. They should weigh about 350g.
3. Using an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy. If the butter is not at room temperature, add 3 tbls. of hot water to the mix.
4. Add half the egg mixture a little at a time and mix thoroughly. Add the rest of the egg mixture and all of the flour to the mix and beat until all is combined. If the mixture is stiff, add a bit more hot water.
5. Turn the mixture into the prepared tins, smoothing the top. Bake about 45 to 50 minutes, until cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan. Insert a skewer to check that the cake is done. It should come clean. If it does not, carry on cooking for another 5 minutes and check again.
6. Once cooked, let the cake cool in the tins for 5 - 10 minutes. Turn the cake out on to cooling racks till completely cool.
7. While the cake is cooling make the filling:
8. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat using the K beater until the mixture is white and fluffy. We like adding a few drops of hot water to help amalgamate all the ingredients together.
9. Level the tops of the cakes. Put the ¾ of the buttercream filling on top of one cake and raspberry jam on the other cake. Sandwich the 2 cakes together so that the bottom of one cake becomes the top of the 2 cakes put together.
10. Use the left over butter cream to spread round the top and sides of the cake. Cover with marzipan and sugarpaste if using the cake for an occasion.