Madeira Black Cake — Produtos da Madeira Version
This formula published by Produtos da Madeira combines flour, butter, eggs, cane honey, dark Coral beer, milk, Madeira wine, spices and candied fruit or nuts. It is an attributed version: Cookidoo's formula for the same cake confirms the defining dark beer, Madeira wine, molasses, milk and spice profile, but adds sugar, lard, walnut, sultanas and lemon zest in its own proportions. The two are not merged.
- Yields
- Yield not stated
- Prep
- Not stated by the source
- Cook
- 40–45 min
Ingredients
- 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz Wheat flour
- 250 g / 8.8 oz Chopped candied fruit or nuts
- 250 g / 8.8 oz, plus an unstated amount for greasing Butter
- 4 Eggs
- 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz Madeira cane honey
- 200 ml / 6.8 fl oz Dark Coral beer
- 200 ml / 6.8 fl oz Milk
- 50 ml / 1.7 fl oz Madeira wine
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- to taste Nutmeg
- Amount not stated Almond kernels for decoration
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease a cake tin with butter and dust it with flour; the source states neither shape nor size.
In a bowl, combine the cane honey, dark beer, milk and Madeira wine and beat well.
Add the eggs, 250 g / 8.8 oz butter, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Beat again until combined.
Beat in the flour thoroughly. Fold in the chopped candied fruit or nuts and pour the batter into the prepared tin.
Bake at 180°C / 350°F for about 40–45 minutes. Check the centre for doneness because the source does not specify the tin size.
Remove from the oven, turn out and leave to cool. Decorate with almond kernels in the desired quantity.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
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