Sri LankanBolo fiado
Layered pastry and cashew cake
බෝලෝ ෆියාඩෝ (bolo fiado): Portuguese Burgher layered pastry cake with buttered sheets, cashews and pumpkin preserve
The name comes from Portuguese and means something like spun cake, and among the Burgher families of Colombo and Batticaloa it is the showpiece of the Christmas sweet table, harder work than love cake and saved for special years. Paper-thin sheets of egg-rich dough are stacked in a tin, each brushed with melted butter and scattered with a sweet mixture of cashews, pumpkin preserve, sugar, cardamom and rosewater, then baked until the layers puff and turn crisp and golden. Cut into squares, it flakes at the top and stays tender and sticky inside. Where it usually goes wrong is the dough: sheets rolled too thick bake up bready instead of flaky, so roll until you can almost see the board through them. Pumpkin preserve (puhul dosi) is sold in Sri Lankan grocers; candied winter melon works too. Chef's tip: rest the dough properly, a full 30 minutes, because relaxed gluten lets you roll it far thinner without tearing.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 16
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 /4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 1 oz unsalted buttermelted
- ½ cup cold waterroughly
For the filling
- 7 oz cashewsfinely chopped
- 7 oz pumpkin preserve (puhul dosi)finely chopped
- 3 ½ oz caster sugarplus 1 tbsp for the top
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp rosewater
For layering
- 5 ½ oz unsalted buttermelted
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour and 1 /4 tsp salt, then add 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, 1 oz unsalted butter and enough ½ cup cold water to make a soft dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
10 minStep 2: Divide into 8 equal balls, brush with a little of the layering butter, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Mix 7 oz cashews, 7 oz pumpkin preserve (puhul dosi), 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom and 1 tbsp rosewater in a bowl.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and brush a 23 cm square tin with layering butter.
Step 5: On a floured surface, roll each ball into a very thin sheet a little larger than the tin. Lay one sheet in the tin, brush with 5 ½ oz unsalted butter and scatter with an eighth of the filling. Repeat with the remaining sheets, finishing with a plain buttered sheet sprinkled with sugar.
30 minStep 6: With a sharp knife, score the top into 16 squares, cutting through the top few layers.
Step 7: Bake for 40–45 minutes until deep golden, crisp on top and the layers look cooked through when you lift a corner.
45 minStep 8: Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then cut along the scored lines. Keep in an airtight box for 4–5 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo fiado take?
- About 135 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 45 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.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of egg?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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