This cake recipe is supposed to be a very authentic version of the bolo made in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. My memories of Bahiana food are mainly the ultra-fresh seafood, vegetables, and fruits, but as I cast my mind back, I recall eating simple, delicious pieces of cake, too. I can’t wait to try this one.
2 C flour
1/2 C cornstarch
2 t baking powder
1 t finely minced orange or lemon zest (optional, not necessarily authentic)
5 eggs
1-3/4 C sugar
1 C coconut milk
1/4 C powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350F, grease a Bundt or tube pan, and dust it with flour.
Sift together flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Stir in the optional zest.
Separate the eggs. In an large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
In a medium bowl, stir together the egg yolks and the sugar. Gradually add the yolks and sugar to the egg whites, whisking until incorporated. Stir in about a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the coconut milk (stir it very well first), and repeat until everything is combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
Dust with a couple of spoonfuls of powdered sugar. This will melt and make the cake shiny. If you want a white dusted look, wait until the cake is cool and then dust it a second time with powdered sugar.