Honey Cake

Recipes similar to this Ribatejo cake, which also goes by the name of Bolo Podre, are made all over the country. The Alentejo honey cake is famous for being moist and tasting heavily of olive oil. But which one? There are so many variations... It can contain cloves, lemon zest, milk, and far fewer eggs than this one. In older recipes, the eggs are beaten whole and the flour used was whole wheat. In Trás-os-Montes, walnuts are always part of the ingredients, and the version made with heather honey is especially appreciated. In Alentejo, it is customary to scatter whole almonds over the surface of the cake before it goes into the oven. Whether it features more eggs or more or less spices, the undeniable truth is that these high-quality ingredients characterize this magnificent family cake, which is indispensable at Christmas: olive oil and honey. Regarding the olive oil, one should prefer a markedly "sweet" extra virgin olive oil, such as certain olive oils from Northern Alentejo, Ribatejo, or Trás-os Montes.