Bolo de Mel da Madeira

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease a 23 cm (9 in) loaf or bundt pan generously with Lard and line the bottom with parchment if you like for easier removal.

Place the Raisins in a small bowl and pour over enough warm Madeira Wine to cover; set aside to plump while you prepare the batter.

In a saucepan over low heat combine Mel de Cana, Granulated Sugar and a couple of Bay Leaves. Add 100–150 g of the Lard and warm gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth; simmer 3–5 minutes, then remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.

While the syrup is warm stir in the finely grated zest of one Orange and one Lemon, a generous grating of Nutmeg, and the ground spices — Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, a pinch of Anise Seeds and a little Ground Black Pepper — to taste. Let the spiced syrup cool slightly.

In a large bowl whisk together All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda and a pinch of Salt until evenly combined.

Chop the Walnuts and Almonds coarsely and fold them into the flour along with the Candied Orange and Citron Peel. Drain the soaked Raisins, reserving a splash of the Madeira Wine. Add the raisins (and any wine you like) to the flour mixture.

Pour the warm spiced honey syrup into the dry ingredients and stir gently until everything is just combined — you should have a thick, sticky batter. If it seems too stiff, loosen with a tablespoon or two of the reserved Madeira Wine or a little warm water.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 60–75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are fine). If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. For best flavor, brush the cooled cake with a little extra Mel de Cana or a splash of Madeira Wine, wrap tightly and let rest for 24–48 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.