Madeira Sugarcane Honey Cake 500g x 2 uni.

Madeira Sugarcane Honey Cake dates to the heyday of sugar production on the island, being Madeira oldest and most traditional pastry confection.
The influences received into its preparation is a crossroad of plants, a sugar cane planted in Madeira coming from Sicily, spicy and aromatic herbs which seeds have come from the East Indies also planted in Madeira with confection influences coming from Britain, given its strong resemblance in some points to English traditional Christmas Pudding.

 
Origin

Locally produced with sugar cane and spices as basic ingredients, this cake is traditionally associated with the Christmas Season. This true fusion of sugar and spices was traditionally a homemade confection, which preparation was done on the 8th of December (Feast of Nossa Senhora da Conceição) followed by a period of “moistening” until the 24th of December when it was eaten. However that does not mean that it should only be consumed at Christmas, for its ingredients plus the traditional preparation methods ensure that it keeps for a very long time afterwards, and nowadays, wrapped in waxed or cellophane paper and stored in special boxes, they represent an authentic delicacy that can be enjoyed all year round.
Madeira Honey Cake traditionally comes from the old Saint Anthony bakery in Funchal. A family company founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest and best manufacturers of handmade cakes in Portugal, always based on a strict policy of making the best by the best methods and using the best ingredients.
Today other family oriented pastries or bakeries also make this Sugarcane Honey Cake respecting the ancient recipe and the great traditional values ​​acquired by the Madeira's Honey Cake.

History 

Honey Cake is Madeira's best seller pastry and its recipe dates back a Madeira's Santa Clara Convent recipe from the 17th century. Convent’s first abbess Isabel de Noronha, granddougther of Zarco, João Gonçalves Zarco, lord of Madeira Isles who planted the Portuguese flag on Porto Santo in 1419 and Madeira in 1420.
Madeira Island has always been associated with sugarcane since early dates, Funchal even supports the five “sugar loaves” in its capital city coat of arms. 

Introduced in Madeira Island coming from Sicily (Italy) in the 2nd half of the 15th century, its cane sugar cultivation and transformation (considered to be the finest sugar in the world) or in molasses and cane spirits became a major mainstay of the economy – and to such an extent that 5 of the original 33 sugar mills are still in operation.