I have never made a madeira cake before.

Normally I just buy the loaf at the super market and use it in my trifles, it just seems easier that way.

I have wanted to make one, but I have bad experiences when it comes to load cakes, they rise beautifully and they sink in the middle just as beautifully. My mother says it has something to do with how I spread my batter.

But I mean seriously I have spread it every way possible even poured the more fluid batters differently and still as they bake the sides rise and the middle just does a belly flop.

So when Is aw this recipe in my Kerry Gold’s cookbook, it didn’t exactly scream at me to make it. I dwelled over this recipe longer than I should have and then on a cold and wet Thursday morning, before the long weekend.

I finally gave in and decided to make this cake, what is the worst that could  happen? It would sink like all my other loaves???

The original recipe for this cake contained eggs, but I substituted it for a vegan egg and hey presto we have an eggless madeira loaf cake.

Believe it or not, this loaf did not sink. Okay well not everything went according to plan, the one edge got a little browner that it should and the other edge bottom part got stuck on the bottom of the tin, but nothing like some lemon zest couldn’t hide.

The verdict, my parents loved it, my mother enjoyed it and my mother well he couldn’t get enough, which means that I did well. Seeing as he is so full of number 2 when it comes to being a taste tester.

Ingredients:

• 1 x cup + 2 x tbsp. self raising flour, sifted.
• 175g x Kerry gold butter.
• 3 x vegan eggs ( 3 x tbsp. crushed flax seed + 9 x tbsp. boiling water).
• 2 x tbsp. polenta
• 1 x tsp vanilla essence.
• 1 x tbsp. milk.
• ¾ x cup + 2 x tbsp. castor sugar.
• Lemon zest to garnish.

Method:

• Cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
• Mix in the eggs and whisk to combine.
• Add in polenta, milk and vanilla essence and beat till combined.
• Add in the flour and beat till everything is well combined.
• Pour into a greased loaf tin.
• Using an offset spatula, evenly spread the batter in the tin.
• Pop into a preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean.
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the load tin, before turning out onto a cooling rack.
• Garnish with the lemon zest and allow to cool completely before serving.