BOLO DE MEL DA MADEIRA – MADEIRA HEUNINGKOEK
My parents are from the Island of Madeira and this is the traditional cake we bake for Christmas. (like fruit cake but no fruit) My favourite Christmas treat!
- 1,250 g Molasses
- 900 g unsalted butter
- 2½ tablespoons lard
- 450 g white sugar
Melt the butter until almost completely melted. Add molasses while mixing constantly. Add lard and finally sugar. Mixing constantly until sugar dissolves. Do not boil. Cover and take off stove. Let cool to room temperature. Make this a few hours before.
- 1,5 kg white cake flour
- 15 ml nutmeg
- 15 ml ground cinnamon
- 15 ml all spice
- 7.5 ml mixed spice
- 7.5 ml cloves
- 15 ml ground fennel
- 60 ml bicarb of soda
- 150 g almonds (no skin) chopped into little blocks (you buy them packaged like this)
- 150 g pecan nuts, chopped
- whole almonds (no skin) and pecan nut halves to decorate
Mix all ingredients together well. Add room temperature molasses mix and “knead” by hand until all mixed. Cover with a few dish cloths and a blanked and leave overnight.
Next morning measure 500 g balls and flatten into 20 cm round baking pans that have been greased with butter and lined with non stick paper. (Flatten the ball, but not until the edges. Have a look at my pictures) Decorate with nuts and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (fan assisted) for 30 minutes. The cakes will be ready when they are a light golden colour.
Let cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before turning out and cooling completely. Peel off paper.
Wrap in a few layers or lunch paper and store in a metal air tight container.
This recipe makes around 9 cakes.
Photo and recipe: Delila De Barros Viljoen
