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Loading ...Portuguese Mini Lemon-Orange Cakes
Queques de Limão e Laranga
by David Leite
Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch cakes
Queques are small cakes that can be flavored with most anything: vanilla, lemon, orange — even savory bits such as chicken, chouriço, or presunto. I’ve never been a big fan of them; I find them either a bit dry, too firm, or overly sweet. But on one visit to Portugal, I stayed at a small hotel in the walled town of Évora, where citrusy queques were served as part of breakfast. What a revelation. They were buttery, with soft insides and crispy edges. I asked the chef for the recipe, which he was happy to oblige. But it soon became clear that some recipes don’t always translate. Determined, I made batch after batch after batch until I approximated what he serves his justly fawning clientele.
Atenção: These cakes should be eaten warm from the oven. Even though they’re perfect for dunking — especially in tea — they can lose some of their appeal overnight. Refresh them in a warm oven for 10 minutes.
convert Ingredients
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, whisked
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method
1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven and crank the heat to 400°F (200°C). Brush two 12-well mini-muffin tins (1 3/4-by-7/8-inch) with butter. Set aside.
2. Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the stove and let the mixture cool until warm.
3. In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant. Dump in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
4. Stir the egg, yolk, and vanilla into the warm milk mixture and then pour it into the flour mixture in several additions, stirring gently until the ingredients are just incorporated and the batter is smooth.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, three-quarters full. Bake until the cakes are well-risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a rack, cool for 5 minutes, and then pop out the cakes. Serve warm piled high in a napkin-lined basket.
Recipe © 2009 by David Leite. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
