Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease and line an 18cm (7 inch) round, loose-bottomed cake tin with butter and baking paper
2
Cream the butter and sugar together with the vanilla extract until light and fluffy, then gradually add the eggs and a spoonful of flour, beating well between each addition
3
Add the remaining flour and a little milk to make a soft dropping consistency
4
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 1 ¼ hours, placing the peel on top of the cake after the first 30 minutes of baking
5
Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve in slices with a glass of Madeira