In 1975, after almost 500 years of Portuguese colonial rule, Mozambique became independent. The Portuguese introduced the “caju” or cashew, which they brought in from Brazil. At one point Mozambique was the world’s largest producer of cashews. In fact, you can still see nut trees growing all over the country. “Polana” is a suburb of Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, which also lends its name to this rich, smooth and nutty dessert cake.
Recipe by: GOLD Restaurant
Serves: 12
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 60 minutes
Ingredients
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon
- 375 g butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 t grated lemon rind
- 2 t grated orange rind
- 9 egg yolks
- 5 egg whites
- 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
- 2 cups raw unsalted cashew nuts
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a spring form cake tin with butter.
- In a deep bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the mashed potatoes, ground cashew nuts, lemon and orange peel.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks and gently fold them into the mixture.
- Pour the batter in the buttered cake tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for an hour or until the top is golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before unmolding.
- Remove the sides and using a metal spatula slide the cake off the base and onto a wire rack.
Tips:
- Serve while slightly warm / allow to cool and serve at room temperature.
- Delicious with fresh cream.
