Bolo de Mel

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 170°C conventional heat. Grease a small loaf tin or 14-16 cm round cake tin with the butter and dust lightly with the flour, tapping out the excess so the cake releases cleanly.

   5 g unsalted butter, for greasing5 g plain flour, for dusting tin
2. 2

   Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then cool and chop. Finely chop the candied peel if needed, and check the raisins for any hard stems. Toss the raisins, candied peel, and walnuts with 1 teaspoon of the measured flour to help keep them suspended in the batter.

   25 g walnuts, toasted and chopped30 g mixed candied peel, finely chopped35 g raisins120 g plain flour
3. 3

   In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground anise, and salt so the leavening and spices are evenly distributed.

   120 g plain flour4 g baking powder2 g ground cinnamon1 g ground anise1 g fine salt
4. 4

   In a larger bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until slightly lighter and creamy. Beat in the molasses, then the egg, mixing until smooth. If the mixture looks slightly curdled, that is fine; it will come together once the flour is added.

   60 g unsalted butter, softened40 g dark brown sugar90 g molasses1 large (50 g without shell) egg
5. 5

   Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk. Fold gently just until no dry streaks remain; overmixing will make the crumb heavy. Fold in the floured raisins, candied peel, and walnuts evenly.

   120 g plain flour4 g baking powder2 g ground cinnamon1 g ground anise1 g fine salt60 ml whole milk35 g raisins30 g mixed candied peel, finely chopped25 g walnuts, toasted and chopped
6. 6

   Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the cake is well risen, deep brown, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top colors too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Cool in the tin for 10 minutes so the crumb sets, then turn out onto a rack and let it cool for another 5 minutes before slicing. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Origin & History

Bolo de mel has deep roots in Portuguese and Brazilian baking, where honey or molasses-based cakes became popular for their keeping quality and warm spice profile. In Brazil, versions vary by region and family tradition, often including dried fruit, nuts, and aromatics for festive occasions and coffee-table service.