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Pão de Ló

By Groceree

Also known as Portuguese Sponge Cake

A Portuguese sponge of nothing but eggs, sugar and a little flour, whisked for a long time and baked in a paper-lined tin. Some regions deliberately underbake the middle to a molten centre.

Last updated

A tall golden sponge cake baked in paper, cut to show a soft, slightly molten centre
Servings
10 servings
Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
1 h 25 min

Ingredients

  • eggs6
  • egg yolks4
  • caster sugar200 g
  • plain flour100 g
  • salt1 pinch

Instructions

  1. 01

    Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a 22 cm round tin at least 8 cm deep with baking paper, letting it stand well above the rim.

  2. 02

    Separate the 4 from their whites, keeping the whites for another use. Whisk the with the 6 room-temperature whole , the and the with an electric whisk for 12 to 15 minutes, until very thick, pale and tripled in volume. The whisking is the only thing that makes the cake rise.

  3. 03

    Sift the over in three goes and fold in very gently with a large spoon, keeping as much air as possible.

  4. 04

    Pour into the tin.

  5. 05

    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for a fully set cake, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean, or 20 to 25 minutes for the Ovar style, until the top is golden and set but the centre still wobbles.

  6. 06

    Cool in the paper for at least 30 minutes, and serve from it.

Notes

  • Whisk for a full 12 minutes or more. There is no baking powder, so all the lift comes from the air in the eggs.
  • Fold the flour in gently. Every stroke knocks out air.
  • Ovar pão de ló is deliberately underbaked with a runny centre; Margaride’s is fully set. Both are traditional.
  • The runny Ovar centre is only lightly cooked egg; bake the cake fully set for anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or with a weakened immune system.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
180 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
5 g

Estimated from the ingredients.

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