Madeira Cake

275g self-raising flour 250g  caster sugar 250g unsalted butter 3 large eggs 150ml milk candied lemon peel (optional)

This cake can be mixed by hand or in a food processor.

Place the butter in a large bowl. Beat it with a fork to soften it. Add the caster sugar and mix these two ingredients together thoroughly until they form a lighter coloured mixture. Add an egg and mix it in. Then add a little flour and mix in. Keep adding the eggs, flour and milk in small quantities until all have been mixed in.

Take a rectangular or round cake tin and line it carefully with greaseproof paper (or use a lightly greased non-stick tin). Once you have poured the mixture into the tin, place it in a warm oven ( 180 C ) for approximately one hour in total. If you wish to decorate the cake with lemon peel, take the cake out of the oven after the first 30 minutes and place strips of the lemon peel onto the top of the cake. Return to the oven and cook it for the final 30 minutes (or a little longer) until it is nicely browned on top. 

To test whether the cake is cooked take a knife and slide it deep into the cake. If it is fully cooked the knife will come out almost clean, otherwise the uncooked mixture will stick to the surface of the knife. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Once cold, store in an airtight tin and eat within a day or two of baking.