Buttery Almond Madeira Cake with a Crunchy Top

I baked this cake today for my daughter to take to work for her birthday morning tea shout tomorrow. It was a nice way to spend a rainy, gloomy day — here’s the view from my window. Brr!

This recipe makes a large cake, but you can easily halve the quantities if you want a smaller cake.

The yoghurt adds a nice, subtle tang to the Madeira cake, and the almonds give it a lovely crunchy, nutty texture. I like serving it with sweetened plain Greek yoghurt — it just suits the flavours perfectly. Whipped cream works well too if you prefer.

How It Turned Out
A slice of this cake, gently warmed and served with ice cream, makes a stunning dessert. And the best part — it always turns out well!

Recipe Card

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🥣🧈🌰💛🍯✨🥮🍽️🌿🍰☕☕🍰🌿🍽️🥮✨🍯💛🌰🧈🥣

Buttery Almond Madeira Cake with a Crunchy Top

• Servings: 10–12
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Rating: ★★★★★
• Print

A soft, buttery almond Madeira-style cake with tangy yoghurt and a golden slivered almond topping. A slice of comfort with every bite!

𝗧𝗶𝗽: Carefully measure almond extract away from your mixing bowl to avoid over-pouring — it’s potent stuff! This cake gets even better by the next day. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁: Ruth Pretty, from an old Cuisine Magazine.

Ingredients

𝗖𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿:
• 250g butter, softened
• 310g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 90ml milk
• ½ cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp almond extract or essence
• 370g self-raising flour
• 180g ground almonds

𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴:

• 1 cup slivered almonds

Directions

1. Preheat: Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a large cake tin.
2. Cream Butter & Sugar: Beat together until pale and fluffy.
3. Add Eggs: Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition.
4. Mix Liquids: Stir in the milk and yoghurt until smooth.
5. Add Flavour: Stir in the almond extract carefully.
6. Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift in self-raising flour and fold in the ground almonds gently.
7. Assemble: Pour batter into the prepared tin. Scatter slivered almonds over the top and press them lightly.
8. Bake: Bake for 45–50 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
9. Cool: Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Store: Keeps well in an airtight container for 3–4 days.

Nutrition

Per Serving: Calories: 380, Fat: 24g, Carbs: 32g, Protein: 7g, Sugar: 20g

Don’t lose it — Pin it! Save this recipe to Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find it again. ♡ Janet