Madeira Bolo de Mel Cane Molasses Spice Cake

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Medium

Madeira Bolo de Mel Cane Molasses Spice Cake

A dark, moist, long-keeping spice cake made with cane molasses, Madeira wine, nuts and candied orange peel. It rests for several days before slicing so the spices develop. Makes 12 slices in about 97 hr 10 min.

Prep 20 min

Cook 50 min

Cooling 96 hr

Total 97 hr 10 min

Yield 12 slices

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

7 tbsp (150 g)dark molasses (cane)
½ cup (110 g)light brown sugar
½ cup (100 g)unsalted butter
¼ cup (60 ml)madeira wine
1 ¾ cups (225 g)all-purpose flour
¾ cup (75 g)ground almonds
¾ tsp (4 g)baking soda
1 pinch (1 g)salt
1 ¼ tsp (3 g)ground cinnamon
¾ tsp (2 g)ground cloves
½ tsp (1 g)ground nutmeg
½ tsp (1 g)ground aniseed
⅓ cup (40 g)candied orange peel, finely chopped
7 tbsp (50 g)walnuts, chopped
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)whole almonds

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and line a 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan.
Heat the molasses, sugar and butter gently until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the Madeira and cool 10 minutes.
Mix the flour, ground almonds, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.
Stir in the molasses mixture, then fold in the orange peel and walnuts to a thick batter.
Spread in the pan, press the whole almonds on top and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack. When cold, wrap tightly and rest 4 days before cutting.

Tips

Use real cane molasses; treacle works but tastes different.
The resting time deepens the flavor and moistens the crumb.
Slice thin and serve with butter or cheese.
Good with madeira wine or coffee.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make madeira bolo de mel cane molasses spice cake?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, plus 96 hours to chill. The recipe makes 12 slices.

How should I store madeira bolo de mel cane molasses spice cake?

Wrap in foil or store in a tin at room temperature up to 1 month.

Can I make madeira bolo de mel cane molasses spice cake ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Bolo de mel is a dark, dense spiced cake from the Portuguese island of Madeira, traditionally made with sugarcane honey for Christmas. Serve it with madeira wine or coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

292 Calories / serving

13.7g Fat

38.3g Carbs

4.3g Protein

21.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3504 cal · 164g fat · 460g carbs · 52g protein · 257g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.