Pao de lo: Portuguese Sponge Cake
Great basic cake recipe, very popular in Portugal. Can be served alone or with fruit. There are many recipes out there for this sponge cake but all have the same basic ingredients. This particular recipe came from “Uma Casa Portuguesa” by Carla Azevedo.
Recipe:
9 eggs at room temperature
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Beat eggs in electric mixer with salt until light, gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating for about 20 minutes, mixture will be very thick.
Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl and add to egg mixture one spoonful at a time, have your mixer on the lowest setting while doing this. Blend well after each addition.
Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and peel off parchment paper.
I have also made this cake with out the paper and there is no difference, using the paper is just more traditional.
Ingredients
- 9 eggs at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Beat eggs in electric mixer with salt until light, gradually beat in sugar.
- Continue beating for about 20 minutes, mixture will be very thick.
- Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl and add to egg mixture one spoonful at a time, have your mixer on the lowest setting while doing this. Blend well after each addition.
- Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan that has been greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and peel off wax paper.



19 Comments
Margaret Varela
Hi Sandra, thank you very much for your kind words. Feel free to link up to any of the recipes on the blog. Looking forward to having a look at your website.
Margaret
Sandra Santos
Hello, I love all the recipes that you have under your Portuguese Kitchen and I have tried many of them of course, being Portuguese myself! I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind me using your Pao de Lo as a link on my website? I am going to be writing an article about Portuguese cakes and you have covered it here. Please let me know if that will be ok with you.
Many thanks
Sandra
Margaret Pereira
Ola Alcidia, eu uso Robin Hood All Purpose Flour, nao sei se ha ai nos Estados Unidos. Eu estou no Canada. Aqui no Canada tambem ha muitos sitios Portugueses que vendem produtos de Portugal. Ja vi ca essa faria que voce usava. Tambem ha cake flour da mesma compania, essa ja tem feremento. (Desculpe os erros no meu Portuguese, nao sei escrever muito bem em Portuguese).
Alcídia Lopes
Olá! Queria lhe dar os parabéns pelo seu blog e facebook page. Cheguei à pouco tempo aos Estados Unidos e tenho tido dificuldade em conseguir os resultados habituais nos bolos devido à farinha. Em Portugal, usava a Branca de neve Super fina. Qual será a farinha mais indicada para os bolos e, neste caso, para o pão-de-ló que também adoro?
Margaret Pereira
I am so glad you tried the recipe and like it!! It is also such an easy recipe!
Anaïs
I made your recipe this week and I have to say, thank you so much for posting it! It turned out perfect. I live in Colorado now, far from any place that would sell pao de lo and I had been craving it for a while. I'm so glad I can make it myself!
I used a spring form 'cause that's all I had and it worked great. Next time I'm just gonna cook it a little less, the one my family used to buy back in Portugal was always a bit runny in the middle and I liked that so much!
Margaret
Thanks Julie, it is a great tasting cake and super easy to make. I would love to link up, thanks for the invite.
Margaret
Julie Fagundes
My Portuguese grandma (Margaret as well) always made this cake. I think I will have to make this with my girls this weekend!
I would love to have you link this up over at my party going on now at
http://www.thevintagebarnhome.com
Your newest follower,
Julie
Margaret
Thanks Ashley and thanks for the follow as well. Great to have you here 🙂
Margaret
…and thanks for the follow 🙂
Margaret
Thanks Kathy!!
Ashley
This looks amazing! Hope you have a great week! I'm a new follower on GFC!
Ashley @ casa-de-castel.blogspot.com
Kathy Moody
Oh, this looks so delicious!!! YUM! Thank you so much for sharing with us at A Bouquet of Talent! So thrilled to have you share with us this week! New follower, too! Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Kathy
http://www.lifeonlakeshoredrive.com
Margaret
Thanks Erica!
Erica
Yum!!! This looks amazing!
http://www.poolovesboo.com
Margaret
Thanks Katie. You should definitely try it, it is super easy and tasty. Thanks for the invite to link up, I will do that 🙂
Margaret
Thanks Luci…and this one does come out crispy on top and sweet.
Katie B. of HousewifeHowTos.com
Oh, what a delicious looking cake! I've never heard of Pao De Lo before, but this looks like something I should definitely try. Thank you for sharing it!
I wanted to invite you to join my How To Tuesday link party, if you haven't already joined . It would be wonderful to have you!
http://housewifehowtos.com/linkage/link-party-2/how-to-tuesday-link-party-12-and-features/
Luci @Bungalow At Home
Ahh. Pao do lo was one of my favorite desserts growing up. I always loved the crispiness on the top and would pick it off! Thanks for the recipe! Pinning it for later!