Touncinho do Ceu (Portuguese almond cake)

Toucinho do Céu is a traditional Portuguese dessert originating from the Murça region in northern Portugal. It's a cake made with almonds and egg yolks, which literally means "bacon from heaven." It gets its name from the time when it was prepared in convents with lard (hence the "bacon"), but the modern version often uses butter. This cake is rich, dense, and naturally gluten-free since it contains no flour.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Total time 50 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 6

Special diet: naturally gluten-free

Description

Ingredients

125g of ground almonds
125 g of sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
62 ml of water
30g of butter ( or lard for the traditional version)
Zest of one lemon (or one orange)
Ground cinnamon (optional, for sprinkling)
Icing sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Preparation

1
Prepare the sugar syrup:
2
In a saucepan, mix the sugar and water.
3
Heat over medium heat until boiling, then let it boil for a few minutes until it becomes a syrup (when the syrup starts to thicken slightly, but is still liquid).
4
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
5
Prepare the almonds:
6
If you are using whole almonds, grind them into a fine powder using a blender.
7
Add the almond flour to the lukewarm sugar syrup and mix well.
8
Add the egg yolks:
9
Add the egg yolks one by one to the almond and sugar mixture, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.
10
Next, incorporate the lemon or orange zest to flavor the cake.
11
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form:
12
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
13
Incorporate the egg whites and butter:
14
Melt the butter or lard, then stir it into the almond and egg mixture.
15
Finally, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture to give it lightness.
16
Cooking :
17
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
18
Pour the mixture into a silicone mold or one that has been previously buttered and lined with baking paper (or simply buttered).
19
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
20
Finishing :
21
Allow the cake to cool in the mold before removing it from the mold.
22
Sprinkle with icing sugar and, if you like, a little ground cinnamon.
23
Advice :
24
This cake is rich in flavor thanks to the almonds and egg yolks. If you like, you can add a touch of vanilla for extra sweetness.
25
The texture of Toucinho do Céu is dense and melting, but it remains quite light on the palate.
26
Variants:
27
Some versions of Toucinho do Céu include a small amount of cornflour or rice flour to vary the texture, but the traditional recipe is naturally gluten-free thanks to the almonds.
28
This dessert is often served on special occasions and is a true homage to the convent pastry-making tradition of Portugal.