Pão de Ló de Ovar is a traditional Portuguese sponge cake associated with the city of Ovar. There’s a handful of Portuguese sponge cakes out there, however, what sets this one apart from all of them, is the golden creamy interior which flows out when you cut into the cake. It’s delicious and decadent and goes beautifully with a glass of Porto. Keep reading to learn how to make it at home!
Pão de Ló – Traditional Sponge Cakes from Portugal
Pão de Ló is the Portuguese name for a series of cakes made essentially of only three ingredients; eggs, sugar, and flour. They are known for their light and airy texture and fall into the broad category of ‘sponge cakes’. However, as this is a Portuguese dessert, most pão de ló cakes have a high egg yolk content and boast the traditional golden colour Portuguese sweets are well known for!
Something else that’s unique about pão de ló is that it doesn’t require baking powder or any other raising agent. The sponge like texture is achieved through the vigorous whipping of the eggs and sugar, which traps enough air into the batter for the cake to rise on its own.
A Version of Pão de Ló for Everyone
There’s a least 10 varieties of Pão de Ló in Portugal, all slightly different from one another either in flavour or in the way they are made. In the version from Guimarães, the batter is flavoured with lemon zest. Now, the recipe of Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão calls for a touch of aguardente vínica (Portugal’s brandy). The sponge cake from Vizela or Bolinhol de Vizela features a sugar glaze, and it’s so loved around here that it was voted as one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy.
Two other types of pão de ló are even protected under the EU’s PGI status (Protected Geographical Indication). That’s Pão de Ló de Margarides and Pão de Ló de Ovar. No matter the version, these cakes are a must at birthday parties and festive dates across the country!
Pão de Ló de Ovar – Arguably the Best Sponge Cake in Portugal!
From all the different versions I tried, my favourite is the Ovar version. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you will probably agree! Most Portuguese sponge cakes are on the dryer side and aren’t exactly dessert, but rather a sweet nibble to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.
Pão de Ló de Ovar on the other hand, has a golden-brown crust and is fluffy around the edges, but has a super moist runny centre. It’s absolutely delicious and super decadent, making it the perfect ending to a meal. Pair that with a chilled glass of Porto and you are in heaven!
How to Make Authentic Pão de Ló de Ovar
To make the Creamy Sponge Cake from Ovar all you need is eggs, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt. As simple as this cake sounds it’s quite easy to get it wrong! If you don’t whisk it for long enough, the cake won’t rise properly. If you bake it for a minute too long, you will very likely lose the characteristic moist centre. It took me a couple of attempts and a few tweaks before finding the perfect temperature and oven time.
Since this cake doesn’t contain baking powder, a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment is essential for achieving the right consistency in the batter. Obviously, it can be done by hand, but it will take you some elbow grease and plenty of time!
We start by adding the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. The exact quantities can be found in the recipe card below. With the whisk attachment, we then whisk on medium to high speed until the mixture turns airy and pale and has about tripled in volume.
To check if your mixture is ready, lift the whisk attachment, the batter should fall from it in a thick ribbon and sit on the surface for a few seconds before sinking. Next, we sift the flour into the batter in batches, folding gently with a spatula until it’s fully incorporated. Be careful as to not overmix it, we don’t want to lose the air we incorporated earlier.
Line a cake mold of approx. 23cm diameter with parchment paper. Carefully pour in the batter. Bake for about 15 minutes at 180°C (fan oven). Make sure the oven was preheated beforehand. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the mold. Enjoy!
Pão de Ló de Ovar – How to Make Creamy Sponge Cake from Ovar
Pão de Ló de Ovar – How to Make Portugal’s Creamy Sponge Cake
6
servings20
minutes15
minutes382
kcalPão de Ló de Ovar is a traditional Portuguese sponge cake associated with the city of Ovar. What sets this cake apart from others is the golden creamy inside which flows out when you cut into the cake.
Ingredients
4 Eggs
10 Egg Yolks
250 g Granulated Sugar
125 g All-purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven).
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt directly into the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit in the whisk attachment, then mix on medium to high speed until the mixture turns airy and pale and has about tripled in volume.
- Sift the flour into the batter in batches, folding gently with a spatula until it’s fully incorporated. Be careful as to not overmix it, we don’t want to lose the air we incorporated earlier.
- Line a cake mold of approx. 23cm diameter with parchment paper. Carefully pour in the batter.
- Bake for about 15 minutes at 180°C. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the mold. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Tips
- Since this cake doesn’t contain baking powder, a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment is essential for achieving the right consistency in the batter.
- If you’d like your cake less runny, increase oven time to 18 minutes.
- Like a soufflé, some level of deflation is to be expected once you take it out of the oven.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!