Bolo Podre (Alentejo Olive Oil and Honey Spice Cake)

Bolo podre means rotten cake, and I promise that is the least appetizing name for one of the most delicious things I bake. The name apparently comes from how dark and impossibly moist it turns out, less a compliment on first glance than a warning label. It is an Alentejo classic, built on the region’s two great pantry staples, olive oil and honey, instead of butter and refined sugar, and it has been showing up at harvest tables in the south of Portugal for generations.

What makes bolo podre different from a lot of the olive oil cakes that have become trendy here in the States is the honey and the warm spice, cinnamon, sometimes a pinch of clove, and a good splash of white wine or orange juice that keeps the crumb tender for days rather than hours. It is dense but not heavy, sweet but not cloying, and it gets better on the second day, which is more than I can say for most cakes.

Sofia, my baking apprentice, has claimed this as one of her jobs in the kitchen because there is no mixer required, just a whisk and a bowl, and because she gets to lick the honey off the measuring cup. If you have made my Sericaia com Ameixas de Elvas (recipe on the site) you already know how much the Alentejo loves turning simple pantry ingredients into something worth a second slice. This one keeps beautifully wrapped on the counter, no fridge needed, so it is a good one to bake ahead.

Bolo Podre Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes · Cook time: 45 minutes · Total: 1 hour · Servings: 10 · Calories: ~310 per serving

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup mild honey
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (or orange juice)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch bundt pan well, or line a loaf pan with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together for 2-3 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
3. Whisk in the honey, olive oil, wine, and orange zest until fully combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the walnuts if using.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
8. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Use a mild, fruity honey rather than a strong one like buckwheat, which can overpower the spices; a basic clover or wildflower honey from the grocery store works fine.
• This cake genuinely improves overnight, wrap it tightly in plastic once cooled and let it rest until the next day if you can wait.
• A good fruity but not overly bitter extra virgin olive oil makes a real difference here since it is one of the main flavors, not just a neutral fat.
• No wine on hand is not a dealbreaker, orange juice with a squeeze of lemon makes a fine substitute.