About this Dish
A dense potato and cashew cake, Mozambique's signature dessert.
History & Origin
Named after the Polana district of Maputo, this unusual cake uses mashed potato and ground cashews instead of flour, a legacy of Portuguese colonial baking traditions.
IngredientsServes 3
🥔Floury potatoes, 500g boiled and mashed until very smooth
🥜Raw cashew nuts, 300g finely ground into a powder
🧈Unsalted butter, 200g softened at room temperature
🍬Caster sugar, 300g
🥚Eggs, 6 large, separated into yolks and whites
🍋Lemon zest, from 2 lemons
🌿Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
🍶Port wine or sweet Muscatel, 2 tablespoons
🫙Apricot jam, 3 tablespoons for glazing the top
Method
1
Preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper. Boil and mash your potatoes while still hot, pushing them through a ricer or fine sieve for the smoothest possible texture, then leave to cool completely.2
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and port wine.3
Fold the cooled mashed potato and the ground cashew powder into the butter mixture alternately, stirring gently until everything is fully combined and no lumps remain. The batter will be quite thick and dense — this is exactly right.4
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Carefully fold them into the cashew and potato mixture in three additions, using a large metal spoon and a gentle figure-eight motion to keep as much air as possible in the batter.5
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is deep golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. The cake will be very dense and moist.6
Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. While still slightly warm, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until runny, then brush generously over the top of the cake for a glossy finish.7
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing — it is best served at room temperature and keeps very well for several days wrapped tightly. The flavour deepens beautifully the day after baking.User Reviews
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