Portuguese Easter Cake Recipe

Easter is always a big celebration in Portugal, and Elsa Voss our Executive Housekeeper, is excited to share a typical Easter treat from her homeland: the “Folar da Páscoa” or Portuguese Easter Cake, a delicious specialty from the Estremadura region.

What you need:

• 520 grams plain flour
• 15 grams yeast
• 50 grams sugar
• 90 grams butter (or margarine)
• 200 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg (or fennel)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 boiled eggs
• Egg yolk

Step One: Dissolve the yeast in a bowl with a little warm milk. Add 100 grams of flour, and leave the mixture to rise in a warm place for around 10 minutes.
Step Two: Use another bowl to blend the remaining flour with the 2 eggs, sugar, and milk until the mixture is fluffy but firm. Then, add the melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg (or fennel) to the mix.
Step Three: Blend again and add the yeast mixture. Continue to knead until the dough stretches from your hands and from the bowl.
Step Four: Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it to rest in a warm spot for 2 to 5 hours. Monitor regularly until the dough doubles in size.
​Step Five: Once the dough has reached that point, put part of the dough aside, and knead the rest into four balls. Flatten the balls a little and place a boiled egg on top of each ball.
Step Six: With the rest of the dough, cut small strips and cross them over each egg to hold it tight.
​Step Seven: Brush each ball with some egg yolk, and leave to rise another 10 to 15 minutes. Then bake in a hot oven (395° F), in a round cake pan lined with baking/parchment paper.

Let it cool off, and enjoy!  Feliz Páscoa e Bom apetite!
​Recipe courtesy of Dulce Rodrigues