dish
Pão de Ló
By Silva E. Olhão
A traditional Portuguese sponge cake with a moist, custardy centre, rooted in conventual pastry traditions.
Pão de Ló is Portugal's classic sponge cake, a deceptively simple creation of eggs, sugar, and flour. The most famous versions come from Ovar and Alfeizerão. The Ovar version is intentionally underbaked, yielding a dramatically moist, almost liquid centre.
Made with an extraordinary number of eggs, Pão de Ló showcases the egg-rich tradition of Portuguese conventual sweets. It is baked in a clay mould and served at celebrations, particularly Easter and Christmas.