If you want to learn how to make dairy-free madeira cake, this website will suit you well. I love oil based cakes as they are healthier for you, delicious and quick to make. And an added bonus: they are much more affordable. So you get to eat delicious desserts and save money!

As many know, if you like cake, it’s hard to find a recipe that doesn’t require butter. People insist this is the requirement for all good cakes. However, American boxed cakes and many bakeries are often an oil based cake and most of us love those when give to us.

An interesting discovery after years of baking is it comes to people’s perception. If some people think it has butter, they will rant and rave about the amazing quality of the cake. If it doesn’t have butter, they will complain non stop. However, if you blind taste test them, you get a whole different story.

I’ve actually tested people over the years to prove this point. My husband is a teacher and I have access to hundreds of hungry mouths to try new flavors, youth and adult. On several occasions, I have given both butter cakes and oil cakes and most of the people mix up the two, preferring the oil based cake. Same thing happens with whole wheat cinnamon rolls. I’m telling you this so you can start “sneaking” in quality ingredients and healthier options. If they don’t know, they will devour.

Why make an oil based cake? Perhaps you have dietary restrictions, you chose not to eat butter, or you just want a light an airy texture and not the heaviness or density that naturally comes with butter cakes. Me? I like the fact they last longer before they dry out, the oil won’t steal the flavor as butter can do, are super easy to make with a hand whisk and bowl, have more mono and poly unsaturated fats as compared to saturated fats in butter cakes, and most importantly: they are cheaper to make. I’m all about cheap. So let’s stop talking and get to making this dairy free madeira cake.

Dairy-Free Citrus Madeira Cake

A nice airy cake to serve with afternoon tea or to eat as a refreshing snack. Super easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Print Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes minutes

Cook Time50 minutes minutes

Servings12 people

Calories 248.2

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 ⅓ cups (200g) flour
• 4 large (200g) eggs
• ¾ cup (180mL) oil
• ¾ cup (150g) sugar
• 1 tbs (15mL) lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp (6g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (2g) lemon zest
• ½ tsp (2g) salt

For the Glaze

• 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
• 1 – 2 tbs (15-30mL) lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C.)
• Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf tin (23x13cm) or line with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, zest of lemon, lemon juice and lemon extract until smooth. Beat in sugar. Add flour mixture and beat until lumps disappear, about 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 50 – 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Center should read between 200F (93C) and 210F (99C.)
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Icing

• Stir in lemon juice, one teaspoon at a time, into powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached in a small bowl.
• Drizzle over top of cake and allow to air dry before stirring.

Notes

Self-rising flour can be substituted, but omit baking powder and salt.

If using a dark colored pan, reduce temperature to 325F (160C) and bake an additional 5 – 10 minutes. 

Nutrition Facts

Dairy-Free Citrus Madeira Cake

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

248.2

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

15.7

g

24

%

Saturated Fat

 

1.5

g

9

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

8

g

Sodium

 

295.9

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

21.2

g

7

%

Fiber

 

0.1

g

0

%

Protein

 

3.4

g

7

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.