Alentejo Água-mel Cake
This version preserves the simplest rural structure: genuine água-mel, olive oil, separated eggs, sugar, flour, lemon and cinnamon. The result should be dark and moist, yet light because of the whipped whites.
- Yields
- One 22 cm / 9 in cake · 12 slices
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40–50 min
Ingredients
- 6 Large eggs, separated
- 250 g / 1¼ cups Sugar
- 400 g / 14 oz Água-mel syrup
- 250 ml / 1 cup Mild olive oil
- 375 g / 3 cups Plain flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- finely grated zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 pinch Fine salt
- as needed Butter and flour for the tin
Method
Heat the oven to 170°C / 340°F. Grease a 22 cm / 9 in round tin, line the base with baking parchment, grease again and dust lightly with flour.
Beat the yolks with the sugar for four to five minutes, until pale and increased in volume. Stream in the olive oil, then beat in the água-mel, lemon zest and cinnamon until even.
Sift the flour with the baking powder. Fold it into the batter in two or three additions, mixing only until no dry pockets remain.
Whisk the whites with the salt to firm but still glossy peaks. Fold in one third to loosen the batter, then gently fold in the remainder with broad strokes.
Pour into the tin and bake for 40–50 minutes. The cake is ready when the centre springs back, a skewer carries only a few moist crumbs and the interior reaches at least 96°C / 205°F.
Cool in the tin for ten minutes, turn out and remove the paper. Let it cool completely before slicing so the moist crumb can settle.