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Bolo de mel da Madeira
Spiced molasses cake with nuts
Bolo de mel: Madeira's dark, spiced sugarcane-molasses Christmas cake with nuts and peel
Madeiran families bake bolo de mel on 8 December so it can mellow in time for Christmas, and a well-wrapped one is said to keep until the following year. It is dense, almost black and fragrant with cinnamon, clove and aniseed, sweetened with mel de cana, the island's sugarcane molasses, and studded with walnuts, almonds and candied peel. Tradition says it should be broken by hand, never cut with a knife. Many old recipes use some lard; this one uses butter only. Chef's tip: wrap it in foil and wait at least a week before eating; the spices and molasses soften and blend as it rests.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 4 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 5 ½ oz dark brown soft sugar
- 12 ½ oz sugarcane molasses (mel de cana)or half black treacle, half golden syrup
- 1 orangezest and 100 ml juice
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground aniseed
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 ½ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 2 ⅛ oz whole almondsroughly chopped, plus a few whole for the top
- 3 ½ oz candied orange and lemon peelfinely chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan). Grease two 20 cm round cake tins and line them with baking paper.
Step 2: Warm 4 ½ oz butter, 5 ½ oz dark brown soft sugar and 12 ½ oz sugarcane molasses (mel de cana) in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Don't let it boil. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the zest and juice of 1 orange.
15 minStep 3: In a large bowl, mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground aniseed and ½ tsp salt.
Step 4: Pour in the molasses mixture and stir until you have a thick, glossy, dark dough. Fold in 3 ½ oz walnuts, 2 ⅛ oz whole almonds and 3 ½ oz candied orange and lemon peel.
Step 5: Divide between the tins, press flat with a wet spoon and press a few whole almonds on top.
Step 6: Bake for 55–65 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch, have shrunk slightly from the sides and a skewer comes out clean. A common mistake is baking it until hard: it firms up a lot as it cools, so take it out as soon as the skewer is clean.
60 minStep 7: Cool completely in the tins, then wrap tightly in baking paper and foil. Keep in a cool place for at least a week, and up to 2 months, before breaking it into pieces to serve.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo de mel da Madeira take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of dark brown soft sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas