Pão de Ló is a Portuguese sponge cake made of eggs, sugar, and wheat flour. Unlike other cakes or breads, yeast or baking powder is generally not used. Rather, to provide volume, air is suspended into the cake batter during mixing. This delicious and fluffy cake, is one of the most traditional cakes in Portugal, and like most Portuguese confectionery, it originates from convents.
It is estimated that sponge cake was created in the second half of the 1700s, when the Genoese cook Giobatta Carbona, sent to Spain by Marquis Domenico Pallavicino (appointed ambassador in 1747 by King Ferdinand VI of Spain), presented the Spanish king, on the occasion of a banquet, with an extremely light cake that he named “Pan di Spagna” in honor of the Spanish court of the time. The innovation of this recipe is precisely the cold preparation of the dough, rich in eggs, with all the ingredients added in a container and then cooked in a water bath. Over the years, this preparation technique was abandoned.
Sponge cake was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese, as Castilla Bread, where it became known as “castella” (pronounced castera) because of the beaten egg whites, which are firmer than whipped egg whites, and over time became one of their most typical sweets, called Kasutera. This simple but incomparably textured cake is known in Italy as Genoese sponge cake and pan di Spagna; in England and the United States, it is the Sponge cake.
“Ló” means scrim, which is a thin and transparent fabric, but also, the side where the wind blows, that is the windward side. Regardless, in both cases, the name evokes its characteristic of lightness.
Tradition has it that the oldest Portuguese recipe of Sponge Cake recipe belonged to the nuns of the Convent of Coz, who taught the techniques of its preparation to a family in Alfeizerão. Another version states that Ló or scrim was the cloth where slices of páo de Ló were wrapped in, to be stored and eaten later or presented as gifts. In any case, Sponge cake was always present on the tables of the wealthier priests; it was recommended for the diets of convalescents and was also sent as a gift and comfort to bereaved families. It was also offered to those condemned to death along with a glass of wine when they ascended to the scaffold.
In Portugal there are recognized and award-winning versions of Pão-de Ló – the oldest and original one is the Margaride Sponge Cake.
– The Traditional Sponge Cake or Margaride – named after the region Margaride – tends to be the most common, simple, and traditional recipe, with measurements based on eggs, so the weight of the eggs is the same as the weight of the sugar and the flour is half the weight of the eggs, followed by a pinch of salt – as simple as that – the sponge cake should then be baked in a clay sponge cake mold lined with paper in the home oven or preferably in a wood-fired oven.
– Alfeizerão Sponge Cake, a parish in the municipality of Alcobaça, Leiria district (Portugal), is known for its famous sponge cake, the ex libris of the land, which the newspaper Ecos do Alcoa referred to in 1932 as “Aunt Amália’s sponge cake.” Due to a mispronunciation, it is also known as “Alfazeirão Sponge Cake.”
– Alpiarça Sponge Cake – another popular variation of sponge cake, produced in Alpiarça in the Ribatejo region, this tends to be a soft and creamy sponge cake very similar to Alfeizerão Sponge Cake.
– Ovar Sponge Cake which is a typical and traditional pastry product from the city of Ovar, being considered the main gastronomic dish of this locality. Widely recognized not only in the Aveiro Region but also nationally and internationally, this sweet ensured the international protection of its designation of origin in 2016.
– Arouca Sponge Cake or Slices of Arouca Sponge Cake – In Arouca, more specifically in the parish of Burgo, the so-called Arouca sponge cake has been prepared and sold since 1840. It stands out from other sponge cakes by being prepared in rectangular molds like a pound cake. It is marketed in the form of individually packaged slices. Before being packaged, the slices of Arouca sponge cake are wrapped in hot sugar syrup.
– There is a non-original version of the recipe called “Brazilian-style sponge cake,” completely different from the traditional original, mainly because it uses far fewer eggs.
Ingredients:
- 8 eggs – weigh the eggs with the shells.
- Weight the same amount of granulated sugar
- Half the weight of the eggs, in cake flour
- 1 teaspoon of course salt
Preparation
Firstly, preheat your oven to 350ºF or 180ºC.
We will start by cracking the eggs and adding the granulated sugar, in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer or standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar, on high speed for about 12 minutes, or until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and has tripled in volume. The mixture should form ribbons when you lift the beaters.
Meanwhile, grease a 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan with butter or oil. Start by brushing melted butter evenly on the base and edges of the pan using a pastry brush- if you don’t have a pastry brush, you can use paper towels – just ball up the paper towel and soak the bottom corner in the butter. I will also dust the inside of the pan with a little flour to help the cake release more easily.
Sift the cake flour into the egg mixture in two or three additions, gently folding with a whisk or spatula, after each addition, until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can deflate the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan and invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, transfer the Pão de Ló to a serving plate and enjoy your delicious Portuguese Pão de Ló!
