Madeira Cake with Homemade Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries

What does a girl do with so many lemons and so many eggs?  She makes cake and curd and then eats them.  This is the type of cake that can be gussied up any which way.  Orange curd and strawberries with some flaked, toasted almonds.  Whipped coconut cream and sliced mangoes with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.  Whipped ricotta and blackberry compote.  Caramel and sliced bananas.  Some had better stop me now.




Madeira Cake with Homemade Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries
adapted from here

For the Cake
240g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar, plus an extra 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 large eggs
210g self raising flour
90g plain flour

For the Lemon Curd:
220g caster sugar
180ml fresh lemon juice
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
70g unsalted butter, softened
Pinch sea salt

To Serve:
Whipped cream
Fresh berries

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 170C.  Grease and line a 23 cm x 13 cm loaf pan with baking paper.  Set aside.

Put the butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.  Add the lemon zest and beat until incorporated.  Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of flour for each one.  Reduce the speed to low, add the remaining flour and lemon juice and mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons caster sugar and bake for about 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.  Leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Make the Lemon Curd:
Put the sugar, lemon juice eggs, egg yolks and vanilla into a heat-proof bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Put the bowl over a pan of simmering water, don't let the pan touch the water, and continue whisking.  The mixture with start to become foamy, then it will start to thicken.  Remove from the heat, whick in the butter and salt.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve, into sterilized jars.  Pop the lids on when the curd has cooled and store in the refrigerator.  Will keep for about a month.

To Serve:
Slice the cake into thick slabs, spread generously with lemon curd, dollop with whipped cream and sprinkle with berries.