Amini's maderia cake

This cake holds such strong memories of my childhood for me.  Amini worked for my grandparents for 45 years and was definitely the boss of the big kitchen in their thatched farmhouse near Gweru.  Every time we made the long trip from Penalonga to visit my grandparents we would finally turn up the long dusty driveway and there they would be waiting on the verandah, sitting in their morris chairs with afternoon tea ready and waiting and Amini's Maderia cake, all warm and fragrant from the oven, in the middle of the table. 

Then Amini would come out of the kitchen and tell me that I had grown like a lettuce since the last time he saw me.  My happiest childhood memories are of my time spent at Gweru over the holidays, and my memories of the food we ate there are rich with warmth and flavour - the big brass gong calling us to dinner; the shadows of the candlelight dancing in the thatch, and the thick yellow jersey cream from Grandmargaret's beautiful cows with their big brown eyes.  The happiest of carefree childhood days.

Amini’s Madeira Cake

6 oz sugar 

6 oz butter

9 oz flour

1 heaped tsp baking powder 

3 beaten eggs

1 tsp vanilla

a little milk (or lemon juice)

Cream the butter and sugar

Add beaten eggs a little at a time. Beat batter until light and fluffy.

Fold in flour and baking powder alternately with milk and vanilla.

Put in well greased loaf tin

Bake in a moderate oven 170 c for about 30 - 40 mins

until it's golden and a skewer comes out clean

Amini

With Jan, Jo and GM in the garden at Gweru

My favourite house in the world!