Portuguese Super Creamy Cake • Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão

If you’re not familiar with Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão, it’s a sub-genre or well a modified version of the traditional Portuguese Pão-de-Ló cake. This recipe is so famous it earned the name of the parish of Alfeizerão, which is part of the municipality of Alcobaça in the district of Leiria. This is a traditional Portuguese cake and a more creamy version of the very famous pão-de-ló. It tends to be a shorter cake than the typical pão-de-ló because it’s intentionally undercooked, giving you a fluffy part and a creamier part inside (kinda like a molten chocolate cake), the trick is finding the balance between both.

Now the story goes that when King D. Carlos from Portugal was visiting a friend in the Alfeizerão region, he was offered a pão-de-ló that unfortunately the cook had pulled from the oven too early, leaving it slightly undercooked. However, the King loved it and even praised the cake so much that it became the popular way to make it in the region.

Now personally, I think many recipes exaggerate by marking 6 minutes in the oven or even less, when it should be closer to 10 minutes without going over that mark. I think you want the cake almost set with a creamy part, and not so much a river of liquid batter. I also think many people leave the oven heat uneven or place the cake on a rack too close to the top, so where do you want the most liquid part? At the bottom of the cake or on top? I’d say in half the recipes, the cake is more liquid at the bottom or only in the center, which makes the cake difficult to cut and serve, and when it’s half-served, you’re better off serving it with a spoon because the cake will be floating in a lake of raw batter.

Finally, the last tip is that this cake needs to be watched like a hawk! ;D The same tip I give when you are baking cookies, don’t take your eyes off the cake once it goes in the oven. When I put my cake in the oven, I turned on the top broiler, baked it for almost 7 minutes near the bottom of the oven, then opened and moved the cake to a rack closer to the top to broil for about 2 more minutes just to form the crust, and that’s it! Of course, if your oven isn’t powerful, turn on the broiler a few minutes before adding the cake to the oven, but place the cake at the bottom before moving it to the top. You have to experiment with times and with your oven because the goal for me is to have a creamy cake on the bottom, sides and top with a more custard like center! So let’s get to the recipe!

Portuguese Super Creamy Cake • Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão

Servings: 8
Time: 45mins
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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You gotta try this traditional creamy Pão-de-Ló from the Alfeizerão region of Portugal, this is a short, undercooked pão-de-ló cake that creates a delicious custard center, a perfect cake for any holiday table.

Ingredients

Eggs – 2 (L)
Egg yolks – 6 (L)
Sugar – 110g
Flour – 50g (T45 with baking powder)
Salt – A pinch

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 200ºC and prepare a 20 cm diameter springform pan/mold, lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, eggs, sugar, and a pinch of salt, whisking everything for about 10 minutes, until you get a very fluffy and smooth cream.
Sift the flour and carefully fold it in with a spatula. You want everything to be well mixed without being whisked, just fold gently to incorporate. Traditionally, this is done by hand, using circular movements from the top to the bottom to mix everything well.
When the cream is smooth, pour it into the pan and bake on the lower rack for about 7 minutes, then finish it off in the top of the rack for 2 minutes (or bake everything on the bottom rack for 10 minutes). Keep an eye on the cake (read my instructions above). You want 1/3 of the cake cooked on the bottom and 1/3 barely cooked on top, so you get a creamy center!
Remove from the oven when the top is golden brown and that’s it. Let it cool before serving, or better yet, serve it the next day, so that both the cake and the creamy center have time to settle. Bon appétit and Merry Christmas!

Tips & Notes: Don’t worry if you overshot and the cake does not have a creamy center, it happens to everyone, the good thing is that you will still get a delicious fluffy cake, so no need to get upset! ;D And you know next time, for your oven it has to be less time, this cake is not the kind you get right on the first try!

Also this cake lives or dies by your attention. Don’t walk away once it’s in the oven. And every oven is different, some run hot, some run cooler, so the 7-10 minute window is a starting point, not gospel. If your oven is weak, preheat the broiler and get it screaming hot before the cake goes in. Start the cake on a lower rack to set the bottom, then move it closer to the top heat source for the final 2 minutes to create that signature golden crust.

Resist the urge to dig in immediately. This cake actually improves overnight as the cake sets properly and the flavors meld. It’s one of those rare desserts with better texture and taste after 24 hours of patience.

The recipe calls for T45 flour with leavening (essentially self-rising cake flour). If you can’t find it, use regular cake flour (not all-purpose flour) with ½ teaspoon of baking powder mixed in. Don’t use bread flour, you want a tender crumb, not a chewy one.

This is a rich cake, so small slices go a long way. It’s traditionally served at room temperature or slightly cool. Some people dust it with powdered sugar, but honestly, it doesn’t need it, the custard interior is sweet enough. Serve with strong coffee or a glass of Port wine for the full Portuguese experience ;D

This recipe for Portuguese Super Creamy Cake • Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Pão de Ló de Alfeizerão foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.