Cabeção Almond and Gila Squash Cake: Christmas Recipe

Cabeção almond and gila cake combines the flavour of ground almonds with the delicate strands of gila jam. The stiffly beaten egg whites are folded in at the end, lending lightness to a batter rich in eggs and nuts. Serve in small slices once cool, to enjoy its moist crumb.

A Christmas cake from Cabeção

In the Alentejo Gastronomic Guide, this recipe from Cabeção, in the municipality of Mora, is associated with Christmas and Carnival. It was recorded in 2012 during an interview with Emília Maria Jacinto Rosa Berreichão, conducted by Adelaide Martins of Leader-Sor.

Estimated yield: 10–12 slices
Preparation: about 25 minutes
Baking: about 40–55 minutes
Total time: about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 6 medium eggs, separated
• 250 g sugar
• 250 g Extra Gila Jam
• 300 g blanched, ground almonds
• 1 level tablespoon plain flour, about 10 g
• 1 level teaspoon baking powder, about 4 g
• Butter for greasing the tin
• Flour for dusting the tin

Step-by-step preparation

1. Prepare the tin and oven.
   Preheat the oven to 170 °C, without the fan. Grease a 22 cm round cake tin without a central tube and at least 6 cm deep with butter, then dust with flour. Tap out the excess. Loosen the strands of gila jam with a fork so they are easier to distribute through the batter.
2. Beat the egg whites.
   Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder, breaking up any small lumps.
3. Prepare the almond and gila batter.
   Beat the egg yolks with the sugar for about 3–5 minutes, until pale and thick. Add the ground almonds and gila jam and mix until evenly distributed. Add the flour and baking powder and fold in. The batter will be thick at this stage.
4. Fold in the egg whites.
   First fold in about a third of the egg whites, mixing gently to lighten the batter. Fold in the rest in two additions with a spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom up. Stop as soon as no streaks of egg white remain, without continuing to beat.
5. Bake the cake.
   Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the surface. Bake on the centre rack for about 40–55 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes: the surface should be golden, the centre firm and not wobbling. A skewer inserted into the centre may come out with moist crumbs, but no raw batter. If it is still raw, continue baking in 5-minute intervals. If the surface browns too much, cover it loosely with aluminium foil.
6. Leave to cool and serve.
   Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the tin for about 15–20 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges and turn out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before slicing, so the crumb can set.

Tips for a moist crumb

Use ground almonds, not almond paste: overgrinding can release too much oil. When adding the egg whites, fold them in just until you have an even batter. Take the cake out of the oven when it is baked through, without waiting for the skewer to come out completely dry.

Wine pairing

Serve a slice with Cartuxa Licoroso Tinto Reserva 2012. The wine’s sweetness complements the richness of the almonds and pumpkin jam. Serve at about 12 °C, in small quantities.

To make the cake, find Doce Extra de Gila in our shop, with the strands that give the batter its texture.

Preparing ahead and storage

You can make the cake the day before and cut it only once it has cooled. Store it in a clean, tightly sealed container, away from raw foods. If keeping it in the fridge, cover it to protect the crumb and take out only the slices you are going to serve. Also follow the storage instructions for the pumpkin jam after opening.

Frequently asked questions

The batter was very thick before I added the egg whites. Is that normal?

Yes. The ground almonds and pumpkin jam make the mixture dense. Folding in the first third of the egg whites helps lighten it; fold in the rest gently. Do not add milk or water.

How can I tell moist crumb from an underbaked centre?

The baked cake has a firm centre, with no liquid batter wobbling. The skewer may come out with moist crumbs or a strand of pumpkin jam, but it should not be coated in raw batter. If it does, continue baking and cover the top if it is already golden.

Can I use self-raising flour?

For this adaptation, use plain flour and the separately specified quantity of baking powder. As the recipe contains very little flour, self-raising flour will not give you the same proportions.

More sweets from Cabeção

For another Christmas recipe collected in the same locality, discover Natércias de Cabeção.

Source and adaptations

Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 266, “Almond and Pumpkin Jam Cake”, Cabeção, Mora. Interview with Emília Maria Jacinto Rosa Berreichão, by Adelaide Martins, Leader-Sor, 2012.

Recipe collected in the Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the blog “À Mesa com o Alentejo”. We kept the six eggs, 250 g of sugar, 250 g of pumpkin jam and 300 g of almonds, as well as folding in the whipped egg whites at the end. We interpreted the pumpkin jam as candied pumpkin threads and the spoonful of flour as level, about 10 g. Baking powder appears in the source method, but without a quantity: we set it at 4 g for this adaptation. The 22 cm tin, 170 °C, timings, yield and signs of doneness are estimated home-cooking guidelines.

Illustrative image generated for this article.