Nigella's Mother-in-law's Madeira Cake

I was super busy the past two weeks as the school term was ending but I managed to bake this madeira cake last weekend. I had not baked or eaten madeira cake before but I was really curious after reading the posts linked to the Bake Along event. Great cake indeed.... rich with very lemony flavour and a moderately soft texture, not as dense as a pound cake and not as soft as a sponge cake. Good to eat just on its own or use it to make layered frosted cake as I've seen some bakers do.

Nigella's Mother-in-law's Madeira Cake

Ingredients:
240 grams unsalted butter, softened (I added 1/2 tsp salt.)
200 grams caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)
grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
3 large eggs
210 grams self-raising flour
90 grams plain flour

Method:

1. You will need a loaf tin (23 x 13 x 7cm / 9 x 5 x 3 inches), buttered and lined.
2. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3/325ºF.
3. Cream the butter and sugar, and add the lemon zest.
4. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour for each.
5. Then gently mix in the rest of the flour and, finally, the lemon juice.
6. Sprinkle with caster sugar (about 2 tablespoons should do it) as it goes into the oven, and bake for 1 hour or until a cake-tester comes out clean.
7. Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in the tin before turning out.

Recipe by Nigella Lawson.

I'm linking this post to the Bake Along event hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from
Kitchen flavours and Lena from Her Frozen Wings.