Portuguese Honey & Olive Oil Spiced Cake • Bolo Podre

This is a fantastic classic and traditional Portuguese cake, and despite its unfortunate name hehehe, “Bolo Podre” (which translates to “Rotten Cake”), trust me! There’s nothing rotten about it! The name simply comes from the greyish-brownish-green hue the batter takes on when olive oil, cinnamon, and honey come together. But in flavour? It’s an absolutely amazing and honestly not that complicated to bake at all.

This is the perfect tea cake or cake to make for a nice small celebration, and when I say it’s a very tender, moist cake with an amazing rustic spiced flavour, I mean it. Way better than any commercial cake you can find, even in good bakeries, you’ll be pressed to find such a classic delicious cake (mostly because it doesn’t look good).

The Bolo Podre is deeply traditional to the Alentejo region of Portugal, probably with origins on the Convents, like so many Portuguese sweets. It’s incredibly aromatic, dense, and moist, and because it’s loaded with liquid and fat, it stays fresh for quite a long time without drying out, perfect for Christmas when you can’t possibly eat everything at once. On the other hand, it’s also not overly sweet, so you can always pair it with dried fruits, either mixed into the batter or as a side, or even spread a little jam or preserves on a slice after its baked. The cake’s recipe has some variations made with port wine or lard, but they are all pretty much te same recipe and of course the same distinctive appearance.

I followed the recipe from a classic portuguese cookbook, but I’ve also seen many sites online with “this recipe”, and in many cases, the photos show a light-coloured cake inside, so be careful! I have no problem with sites copying recipes, but if they don’t actually make the recipe, how do they know if it’s any good? And of course, like any Alentejo sweet, it’s perfect for Christmas heheheh, so let’s get to it, and since it’s December already Merry Christmas!

Portuguese Honey & Olive Oil Spiced Cake • Bolo Podre

Servings: 12
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Classic cake from the Alentejo area of Portugal, super moist and tender with a nice and rich spiced flavour, with olive oil, orange, cinnammon and honey.

Ingredients

Flour – 250g
Brown Sugar – 130g
Eggs – 6
Olive Oil – 250ml
Honey – 250ml
Aguardente – 50ml (a Portuguese Spirit)
Orange – 1 (Just the Zest)
Cinnamon – 1 Level Tablespoon
Cinnamon – For Sprinkling (Optional)
Butter – For Greasing
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by separating the egg yolks from the whites, whisk the yolks with the brown sugar until creamy.

Add the olive oil, honey, cinnamon, aguardente, and a pinch of salt, then whisk again.

Add the sifted flour with the orange zest, mix well until creamy.

Finally, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture (gently) until it is fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease a cake tin with butter and line it with non-stick paper.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes until well cooked and golden brown on top. Prick the center with a toothpick, if the toothpick comes out dry, it is ready. Remove from the oven, let it cool slightly, then unmold and enjoy this delicacy. Merry Christmas!

Notes & Tips: Use a good quality olive oil, but not an extremely strong or peppery one, as it will dominate the flavor. A mild, fruity olive oil works best. In case you don’t know, go with an extra-virgin olive oil.

If you can’t find aguardente (a Portuguese spirit), regular brandy, cognac, or even dark rum will work wonderfully.

Make sure to only use the zest (the orange outer peel), not the white pith, which can be bitter.

When folding in the whisked egg whites, use a gentle hand and a spatula, you want to maintain as much air as possible inside the dough for a lighter texture.

The cake should be moist, so keep an eye on it after 35 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick comes out clean, but you don’t want it too much time in the oven to dry it out.

This cake pairs beautifully with dried fruits (figs, apricots, almonds), a dollop of jam or marmalade, or simply plain with coffee or tea.

This recipe for Portuguese Honey & Olive Oil Spiced Cake • Bolo Podre was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Bolo Podre Alentejano foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.