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Terceira Angra do Heroísmo Sweets

Dona Amélia Cakes

Donas Amélias: little cornmeal cakes from Angra do Heroísmo with cane honey, cinnamon and raisins, named after Queen Amélia, who visited Terceira in 1901.

Makes
24 pieces
Prep
25 min
Cooking
25 min
Difficulty
Easy

Donas Amélias are small cakes from Terceira made with cornmeal, sugar cane honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and candied citron, baked in little tartlet moulds and dusted with sugar.

They are named after Queen Amélia, who visited the island with King Carlos in 1901: the story goes that the ladies of Angra presented her with these cakes, which have carried her name ever since. They remain one of the best-known sweets of Angra do Heroísmo and are sold in the city's pastry shops.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Butter 24 small tartlet moulds and dust them with flour.

  2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale.

  3. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, raisins and citron and keep beating until everything is evenly mixed.

  4. Pour in the melted butter and beat again.

  5. Fold in the whisked egg whites with a light hand.

  6. Finish with the cornmeal and cane honey, stirring until the batter is smooth.

  7. Divide the batter between the moulds, filling them about two-thirds full, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until firm to the touch but not dry.

  8. Leave to cool slightly, turn out and dust with icing sugar.

Tips

  • Mel de cana is a sugar cane syrup. If you cannot find it, use dark cane molasses or black treacle; avoid bee honey, which changes the flavour.
  • Use fine cornmeal and sift it well; if you only have coarse cornmeal, blitz it first.
  • No tartlet moulds? Use small muffin tins, well buttered and floured.
  • Stored in an airtight tin, they keep for several days.

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