The cake has a lovely golden colour that comes from the cashew nuts, eggs, and butter used to make it. It is denser and moister than a sponge cake – more like a French fudge cake – and has a distinctive nutty sweetness. A thin slice goes a long way. It is often served at celebrations, holidays, and family gatherings.
Cashew trees are one of Mozambique's great natural resources. The country was once the world's largest exporter of cashew nuts. The tree produces not only the nut but also the cashew apple – a yellow or red fruit that is sweet and juicy, and made into juice and jams. Nothing from the cashew tree is wasted.
The recipe for bolo polana is deceptively simple – ground cashews, mashed potato, eggs, butter, and sugar – but the balance of ingredients must be just right. Too much potato makes it heavy; too little cashew and you lose the flavour. Many bakeries in Maputo have been making the same recipe for decades.
The Polana neighbourhood where the cake gets its name is famous for its elegant old hotel, the Polana Hotel, which has welcomed visitors to Mozambique for over a century. The cake became popular there and the name stuck. Today you can find bolo polana in bakeries, restaurants, and home kitchens across the whole country.