Pão de ló

When I was a child, I remember spending a lot of time with my mom in the kitchen. I would watch her closely, absolutely fascinated by how she could combine different ingredients to make the yummiest of meals! I was my mom's helper, no one else ever wanted to help and for me, it came naturally. Day after day, I would ask what she needed, and found myself peeling potatoes, stirring the béchamel or pouring a thin string of olive oil for the mayonnaise. I treasured those moments and acquired an everlasting love for cooking (even though still to this day anything I try to replicate still never tastes like my mom's...!).

Baking was by far my favorite thing to do (maybe because I am such a sweet tooth!!), so my mom taught me how to make the simplest of cakes: pão de ló. A staple in Portuguese culinary, with as many varieties as there are regions in Portugal, the simplified version of this sweet cake only requires four eggs, same weight in sugar, same weight in flour and a tablespoon of baking powder. When my mom finally let me make this cake all by myself from scratch, I felt a tremendous sense of pride and I knew my love for cooking would last a lifetime!

PÃO DE LÓ

4 large eggs
same weight in sugar (about 1 cup)
same weight in flour (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon baking powder

Separate egg yolks from whites. Beat yolks with sugar until creamy in consistency and color. Add flour and baking powder. Beat egg whites until they peak, then gently fold into the mixture (add a little bit first, as the mixture might be thick, then add the rest). Cook in greased bundt pan at 350 F for about 25 minutes. Enjoy!


P.S. I have struggled for a long time with the fact that my computer keyboard does not allow me to write accented letters... In case you haven't noticed, the Portuguese language is heavily accented!! After searching online, I found a table for Alt Key codes, and it has been a blessing!!! I am sure there is an easier (and faster) way to do it, but until then, I am sticking to this! Just press the alt key and the corresponding number on the table, and you get an accented letter!! You can find it here.