Pao de Lo (Portuguese Sponge Cake)
A light, golden Portuguese sponge made with just eggs, sugar, flour and lemon, with a soft and slightly gooey centre.
- Time50 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.28 a head
- Oven170°C (150°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
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Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Brush a 20 cm round cake tin with the olive oil and line the base with baking paper.
- 2
Beat the eggs and caster sugar with an electric whisk on high for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is pale, tripled in volume and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that stays on the surface for 5 seconds.
11 min - 3
Sift the flour over the eggs in 3 batches, adding the lemon zest and folding in very gently with a large metal spoon so you keep in as much air as possible.
- 4
Pour into the tin and tap it once on the worktop. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and risen, with a very slightly soft centre.
27 min 30 s - 5
Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out. Dust with icing sugar and serve in wedges.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
