''Pão de Ló'' (plural: ''pães de ló'') is a Portuguese

sponge cake Sponge cake is a light cake made with egg whites, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during ...

made of

eggs An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo begins to develop. Egg, EGG or eggs may also refer to: Biology * Egg cell, the female reproductive cell (gamete) in oogamous organisms Food * Eggs as food Places * Egg, Austria * Egg, Switzerland ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

, and

wheat flour Wheat flour is a powder made from the grinding of common wheat used for human consumption. Wheat varieties are called "soft" or "weak" if gluten content is low, and are called "hard" or "strong" if they have high gluten content. Hard flour, or ...

. Unlike other

cake Cake is a flour confection usually made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elabor ...

s or

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

is generally not used. Rather, to provide volume, air is suspended into the cake batter during mixing.

Etymology

There are various, and some controversial, theories of where the name ''pão de ló'' is derived from. While "''pão''" is the conventional definition for "bread", "''ló''" is attributed to several theories. One suggests it is derived from the Old-French word ''lof'' meaning the "

downwind In geography and seamanship, windward () and leeward () are directions relative to the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e., towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point o ...

side of a ship, where the

sails A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...

are rigged" or "thin fabric, like

cheesecloth Cheesecloth is a loose-woven gauze-like carded cotton cloth used primarily in cheesemaking and cooking. The fabric has holes large enough to quickly allow liquids (like whey) to percolate through the fabric, but small enough to retain solids lik ...

". Another theory is that it is from the term for

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

, . Author Maria de Lourdes Modesto suggests that its named in honor after of a confectioner's husband whose surname was "Ló", in Magaride, Felgueiras. Another further specifies he was a German man with the last name "Lot".Castro (2021), (accessed 30-Oct-23)

Luís da Câmara Cascudo Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish form of the originally Germanic name or . Other Iberian Romance languages have comparable forms: (with an accent mark on the i) in Portuguese and Galician, in Aragonese and Catalan, while is archai ...

a Brazilian

lexicographer Lexicography is the study of lexicons and the art of compiling dictionaries. It is divided into two separate academic disciplines: * Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionary, dictionaries. * The ...

noted that in history, this sponge cake has been spelled as "''pam-de-ló''", "''pandeló''", and "''pão-de-lot''". In the

Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 The Portuguese-Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990 () is an international treaty whose purpose is to create a unified orthography for the Portuguese language, to be used by all the countries that have Portuguese as their official language. It ...

, "''pão de ló''" was spelled without

hyphens The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. The hyphen is sometimes confused with dashes (en dash , em dash and others), which are wider, or with t ...

as acknowledged by the

Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament The Terminology Coordination Unit (TermCoord) is a supporting unit to the translation units of the Directorate-General for Translation (DG TRAD) of the European Parliament. TermCoord was created in 2008 by Rodolfo Maslias, professor at the Univer ...

(TermCoord), although it continues to be written both as "''pão-de-ló''" and "''pão de ló''".

History

1500s to early 1600s

The first record of ''pão de ló'', written as "''pãoo de llo''", was indicated in the

manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has c ...

Infanta Infante (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as "infant" or translated as "prince", is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to the ...

Maria of Portugal in the mid-1500s. Unlike the ''pão de ló'' seen today, it was a thick pudding made solely with ground almonds instead of

Late 1600s to 1800s

In 1693, Domingos Rodrigues, head chef to the Portuguese royal family, would reproduce the same eggless and flourless formula in his

recipe book A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (food), course (appetize ...

known as ''Arte de Cozinha'' ().Rodrigues (1693), p. 161 The version of ''pão de ló'' known today existed at least by 1773. The ''pão de ló'' was "made of the finest flour, sugar, eggs, and orange-flower-water, well beaten together, and then baked", according to the ''Dictionary of the Portuguese and English Languages'' by Anthony Vieyra (edited by J.P. Aillaud) printed in 1813. It was in 1780, in the book ''Cozinheiro Moderno, ou Nova Arte de Cozinha'' () by Lucas Rigaud, chef to

Maria I of Portugal '' Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her de ...

, that ''pão de ló'' is defined also as (). This same recipe reappears in the 1836 edition of ''Arte de Cozinha'' by Domingos Rodrigues. ''Arte de Cozinha'' (ed. 1836) had also indicated other derivatives such as ''pão de ló fofo'' (), ''pão de ló torrado'' (), ''pão de ló de amêndoas'' (), and ''pão de ló de pistache'' (). CocinaPalentina-Pan 002

Spanish, French and Italian roots

Another similar cake related to ''pão de ló'' from the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

is the Spanish '' bizcocho''. ''Bizcocho'' () is a baked confectionery whose etymology comes from "to bake twice".Coxall (2018), p. 35 The Thesaurus of Castilian or Spanish Language published in 1611 stated that there was also "delicious dish made with flour, eggs and sugar".Tsukamoto (2018) It took root in Portugal as ''bolo de Castela'' (). In ''Arte de Cozihna'', it appears as ''biscoytos de la Reyna'' (). It was likely referring to the Castilian

Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal Catherine of Austria or Catherine of Spain (; 14 January 1507 – 12 February 1578) was a Queen of Portugal as the wife of King John III, and a regent during the minority of her grandson, King Sebastian, from 1557 until 1562. Early life An ...

, who brought this confectionery to Portugal. An actual loaf from Castile that continues to exist today is '' Pan Candeal''. It is believed that the

Marrano ''Marranos'' is a term for Spanish and Portuguese Jews, as well as Navarrese jews, who converted to Christianity, either voluntarily or by Spanish or Portuguese royal coercion, during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but who continued t ...

s, Portuguese

crypto-Jews Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews" (origin from Greek ''kryptos'' – , 'hidden'). The term is especially applied historically to Spani ...

(

Sephardic Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

), enriched this bread with eggs to create ''pan d'Espana''. One popular story recounts an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier (; feminine pâtissière, ) is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bistros, restaurants, bakeries, b ...

named Giovan Battista Cabona who accompanied the ambassador of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

on a trip to Spain during the

Renaissance period The Renaissance ( , ) is a period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and surpass the ideas ...

. He presented this cake to the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

and named it ''pan di Spagna'' (). As the name suggest, it can be derived from the French ''Pain de lof,'' a similar kind of bread already existing in

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. A similar product is the ''Gâteau de Savoie'', a traditional baked sponge cake from

Savoie Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population o ...

. In the Portuguese cookbook ''Arte do Cosinheiro e do Copeiro,'' similarities between ''pão de ló'' and ''Gâteau de Savoie'' (''bolo de Saboia'' in the text) were already noticed.

Conventual sweets

Monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

cooking was well established throughout Europe by the late Middle Ages which had expertise in

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

cheese making Cheesemaking (or caseiculture) is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrate ...

, and

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...

. It was here that the nuns kept alive the Moorish confections.Boileau (2010), P. 74 ''Pão de Ló'' was one of the

conventual sweets Conventual sweets () are a typical part of the Portuguese cuisine and a generic term to a variety of sweets in Portugal. As the name implies, conventual sweets were made by nuns who lived in the Portuguese convents and monastery, monasteries. Star ...

produced throughout Portugal by the

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

s living in the

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

s. It is characteristic of many other of the conventual sweets containing a considerable amount of

egg yolks Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

and sugar, and very little

.Costa (accessed 30-Oct-23) There are several of these sweets containing these ingredients in varying amounts or cooking methods. There are also a few traditional confectionaries that resemble ''pão de ló'' such as ''cavacas do Marco'' and ''fatias de Freixo''. A few others that are similar to the dried

biscuit A biscuit is a flour-based baked food item. Biscuits are typically hard, flat, and unleavened. They are usually sweet and may be made with sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger, or cinnamon. They can also be savoury, similar to crackers. ...

such as ''caladinhos'' and ''melindres''. Cakes were associated with religious feast days, such as Easter and Christmas. Some cakes were formed in the shape of the crown of Jesus. After the Dissolution of the monasteries in Portugal in 1834, some of the recipes made its way to the

laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...

Culture

Historically, some varieties of ''pão de ló'' required beating eggs manually for more than an hour in order to obtain the desired " leavened" consistency, and typically this job was often reserved to women before the mid 1900s. Mothers passed the recipes to their daughters before marriage and sold their breads and other baked goods out of their homes. As such, these cakes were expensive and reserved for festive occasions, such as Easter and birthdays, sometimes filled with

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with Eggs as food, egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in con ...

fruit preserve Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes Acid#In food, acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or Spread (food), spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globall ...

, or ''

fios de ovos ''Fios de ovos'' () is a traditional Portuguese sweet food made out of egg yolks, drawn into thin strands and boiled in sugar syrup. It is used as a garnish on cakes and puddings, as a filling for cakes, or eaten on its own. Through Portugue ...

''. The rich, who were able to consume it year-round, was especially favored by those who lost their teeth and were unable to chew regular bread. It was sometimes browned in an oven, recalling its "twice baked" derivative. It was traditionally offered wrapped in black satin to the sick and to families in mourning. It was also offered to those about to face execution. ''Pão de Ló'' became the precursor to ''pão doce'' and other

Portuguese sweet bread Portuguese sweet bread refers to an enriched sweet bread or yeasted cake originating from Portugal. Historically, these sweet breads were generally reserved for festive occasions such as Easter or Pentecost and were typically given as gifts. Howe ...

s. The tedious labor of mixing by hand for more than an hour that often coincided with making ''pão de ló'' would be achieved by the use of

instead.Tavares
Pão doce
(accessed 30-Oct-23)

Varieties

Seven ''pão de ló'' varieties were classified as traditional products by the ''Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development'' (DGARD), a Portuguese government agency under the

Ministry of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

that collaborates with the '' Portuguese Federation of Gastronomic Confraternities'' (FPCG). The FPCG provides information for the inventory of traditional Portuguese recipes and products found throughout the country.

Pão de Ló de Ovar

The origins of this artisanal North Region sponge cake began in the late 18th century. It was first recorded in the book ''Irmandade dos Passos'' in 1781, describing it as a cake gifted to clergy who carried the statues used in

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

during

Semana Santa Semana Santa is the Spanish for Holy Week, the final week of Lent leading to Easter. In Spanish speaking cultures as well as Holy Week in the Philippines, the Philippines this becomes an annual tribute of the Passion of Jesus Christ celebrated by ...

. It is made with a substantial amount of

and sugar that are beaten for an extended time, for more than an hour by hand, with a small ratio of

flour Flour is a powder made by Mill (grinding), grinding raw grains, List of root vegetables, roots, beans, Nut (fruit), nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredie ...

added. The cake is typically baked in a

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

vessel lined with paper

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures that certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal ...

s.Carvalho (2019), (accessed 27-Oct-23) The very moist interior is characteristic of ''ló'' known as . In 2016, ''pão de ló'' traditionally made in its peculiar method within the municipality of

Ovar Ovar ( or ) is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District, Baixo Vouga Subregion in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,398, in an area of 147.70 km2. It had 42,582 eligible voters (2006). The municipality includes two cities: Ovar (16 ...

was awarded the

Protected Geographical Indication Three European Union schemes of geographical indications and Traditional food, traditional specialties, known as protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI), and traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG), promote ...

Pão de Ló (Região Centro)

Vagos Vagos () is a town and a municipality in Aveiro District, belonging to Centro Region of Portugal. The district capital, Aveiro, is its nearest large city. Its population in 2011 was 22,851 in an area of 164.92 km2, and it had 17,204 eligible ...

of the Central Region, ''pão de ló'' is a sponge cake generally made with whole eggs, flour, sugar, salt and

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

(or

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

zest). The egg whites and yolks are sometimes separated and beaten individually before combining.

Baking powder Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increas ...

is sometimes added, depending on the quality of the flour being used. This ring-shaped cake is not commercially made.

Pão de Ló (Região Norte)

In the

North Region, Portugal The North Region ( ) or Northern Portugal is the most populous region in Portugal, ahead of Lisbon, and the third most extensive by area. The region has 3,576,205 inhabitants according to the 2017 census, and its area is with a density of 173 inha ...

between

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

and the Tâmega river, ''pão-de-ló'' is made with primarily with whole eggs, sugar, and flour. The batter is mixed by hand for more than 10 minutes, then poured into paper-lined clay vessels that are preheated. The ring-shaped cake is baked in a wood-fired oven.

Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão (do Preto)

This sponge cake is believed to have originated from the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Cós in Alcobaça. The recipe was smuggled out of the monastery by João Matos Vieira, a priest, due to the Revolution of 1910 and brought to the ''

freguesia (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Portuguese over ...

'' of

Alfeizerão Alfeizerão is a ''freguesia (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions ...

. The cake is mainly made with egg yolks, sugar, and flour, and

aguardente (Portuguese language, Portuguese) or (Spanish language, Spanish) (; ; ) is a type of distilled alcoholic spirit that contains between 29% and 60% alcohol by volume (ABV). It is a somewhat generic term that can refer to liquors made from vario ...

. The batter is whisked for a prolonged time then poured into greased copper pots. When the cake is finished baking, it is shaped while it cools. An "undercooked" ''pão de ló'' was inadvertently served to King

Carlos I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Carlos I (; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as "the Diplomat" (), "the Oceanographer" () among many other names, was List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1889 until his Lisbon Regicide, assassin ...

. However, the king was impressed by the mishap and the recipe persisted.

Pão de Ló de Margaride

Named after the ''

'' of Margaride in

Felgueiras Felgueiras () is a municipality in Porto District, Portugal. The current mayor is Nuno Fonseca. There are two cities located in the municipality: Felgueiras (city status received on 13 July 1990) and Lixa. The population in 2011 was 58,065, in a ...

, this cake was first created by a confectioner named Clara Maria. After her death in 1831, her husband's second wife, Leonor Rosa da Silva, continued making the cake. The ring-shaped cake contains both whole eggs and additional egg yolks, sugar, and flour. The cake is baked in a paper-lined clay mold. It is sometimes eaten with '' queijo da Serra'' or

port wine Port wine (, ; ), or simply port, is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often served with dessert wine, ...

. In 1888, the cake was awarded a royal warrant by the

Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza () in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...

, and in 1893 by King

which it continues to display in present times.

Pão de Ló de Rio Maior

First created in the 1960s by Maria Alice Sequeira in

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, this cake contains whole eggs and egg yolks, sugar, and flour. It is typically baked in a

springform pan A springform pan is a type of Cookware and bakeware, bakeware that features sides that can be removed from the base. Springform refers to the construction style of this pan. The base and the sides are separate pieces that are held together wh ...

Bolinhol (Pão-de-ló Coberto de Vizela)

The recipe is attributed to Joaquina Ferreira in the late 1800s. Typically shaped into a rectangular loaf lined with paper, this cake from

Vizela Vizela () is a municipality in the Braga District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 23,736, in an area of 24.70 km². The present mayor is Vitor Hugo Salgado, elected as an independent. The municipal holiday is March 19. History In Au ...

is made with eggs, mainly egg yolks, sugar and flour. After baking, it is brushed with a thick layer of sugar syrup. The name of this cake is derived from the () cloths that wrapped it when it was first sold. The first known reference to this cake was in 1884, at an exhibition in

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...

Alpiarça

In the municipality of

Alpiarça Alpiarça () is a municipality in Santarém District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,702, in an area of 95.36 km2. The present Mayor is Mário Fernando Pereira and the President of the Municipal Assembly is Mario Santiago. The munic ...

, a very moist cake is made with a substantial amount of egg yolks and some whole eggs, sugar, and a smaller amount of flour.Modesto (2001)

Arouca

Believed to have been created by the nuns of the ''Mosteiro de Arouca'' which closed in 1886, this cake recipe survives through a bakery established in 1840 by Teixeira Pinto. The

pound cake Pound cake is a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt mold. They are sometimes served either dusted with powd ...

-like is baked as a rectangular loaf with whole eggs, sugar, and flour. Once it is cooled after baking, it is infused with a sugar syrup which also leaves a sugar crust.

Coimbra

This is a smaller cake that can be made at home. Whole eggs are used, but the whites and yolks are processed separately. The yolks (with sugar added) and egg whites are beaten until stiff, then combined along with flour. The batter is poured into a greased cake tube pan to bake.

is sometimes used as leaven.

Cornstarch Cornflour, cornstarch, maize starch, or corn starch (American English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken s ...

is also used as a modern, gluten free alternative.

Figueiró dos Vinhos

Baked in a pan similar to

bundt cake A Bundt cake () is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive donut shape. The shape is inspired by a traditional European cake known as , but Bundt cakes are not generally associated with any single recipe. The style of mo ...

originating from Monastery of Saint Claire in

Figueiró dos Vinhos Figueiró dos Vinhos () is a city in Leiria District The District of Leiria ( ) is a district located between the Oeste e Vale do Tejo and Centro regions of Portugal, and divided between the traditional provinces of Beira Litoral and Estremadu ...

, this cake is now made exclusively by the Santa Luzia Confectionery with the original recipe and molds dating from the late 1800s given by one of the nuns from the convent.

Fornelos

This North Region cake is believed to have been created in the early 1900s, in Fornelos,

Fafe Fafe (), officially the City of Fafe (), is a city and municipality in the northern Portuguese district of Braga. The population in 2021 was 48,502, in an area of approximately . The city itself had a population of 15,703 in 2011. The present ma ...

by the Freitas family. It contains eggs, sugar, and flour.

Outside of Portugal

Brazil

The Portuguese introduced ''pão de ló'' to

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

in the early 1500s. In the book ''Vida e Morte do Bandeirante'' by author Antônio de Alcântara Machado, an inventory from the mid-1600s indicates two copper basins were listed to prepare it. It was a favorite of Frei Caneca, a Brazilian

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

, politician and

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

, one of the leaders of the Pernambucan Revolt of 1817.

dedicates an entry to sponge cake in the Dictionary of Brazilian Folklore underscoring the importance in the culinary tradition in Brazil.

Japan

The Portuguese would be the first European country to reach Japan in 1543. Before their expulsion from Japan in 1639, the Portuguese introduced ''bolo de Castela'' to the Japanese which would be known simply as '.Hosking (2014), p. 441 One popular belief is said that the name was derived from the Spanish,

Kingdom of Castile The Kingdom of Castile (; : ) was a polity in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. It traces its origins to the 9th-century County of Castile (, ), as an eastern frontier lordship of the Kingdom of León. During the 10th century, the Ca ...

. However, the

homonym In linguistics, homonyms are words which are either; '' homographs''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or '' homophones''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciat ...

ous term is believed to be from , , describing the egg whites beaten until stiff akin to castle towers.Lopes, (accessed 26-Oct-23) While the Spanish did arrive a few years after the Portuguese in 1549, Portuguese influence was greater than that of the Spanish especially in

Nagasaki , officially , is the capital and the largest Cities of Japan, city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Founded by the Portuguese, the port of Portuguese_Nagasaki, Nagasaki became the sole Nanban trade, port used for tr ...

. Established in 1624, Castella Honke Fukusaya in

is the oldest existing castella maker in Japan.Fukusaya’s Famous Castella Cake
(accessed 27-Oct-23)

References

Notes

Citation

Bibliography

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. ''Fukusaya Co., Ltd''. {{Portuguese cuisine, state=expand Sponge cakes Portuguese cakes