Toucinho do Céu

Name: Toucinho do Céu
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 250g Blanched Almonds, finely ground; 500g Granulated Sugar; 125ml Water; 100g Pork Lard, plus a little extra for greasing the pan; 12 Egg Yolks; 1 Lemon, zest only; 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour, about 16 g; small binding amount used in many traditional versions; 1 pinch of Salt, fine; Some Powdered Sugar, for dusting

Toucinho do Céu is a rich, old-fashioned Portuguese almond cake with a silky, custardy interior and a delicate citrus-cinnamon aroma. Made from ground almonds, a sugar syrup, generous egg yolks and a touch of pork lard, it has a dense, melt-in-the-mouth texture that's traditionally finished with a veil of powdered sugar. It's elegant, comforting, and perfect with coffee or a dessert wine.

Toucinho do Céu is a rich, old-fashioned Portuguese almond cake with a silky, custardy interior and a delicate citrus-cinnamon aro... Show more

Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Health Grade

E+ · Indulgent

Time

1 hr30 min

Price

0,53 €

Calories

499 kcal

holiday/special occasion

mediterranean

portuguese

gourmet

Method

Prep the pan

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a little of the Pork Lard, then dust it lightly with a little of the All-purpose Flour, saving the rest of both for the batter. Tap out any excess so the cake will release cleanly. Finely zest the Lemon and set the zest aside.

Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C and let it fully heat while you make the batter.

Cook the syrup

In a medium saucepan, combine the Granulated Sugar and Water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer 8 minutes until the syrup looks clear and just slightly thicker. Take it off the heat and whisk in the remaining Pork Lard until it melts smoothly into the syrup.

Cool briefly

Let the syrup stand for 5 minutes so it cools slightly before it meets the yolks.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, whisk the Egg Yolks until smooth. Slowly pour in the warm syrup in a thin stream, whisking constantly so the yolks stay silky. Stir in the Blanched Almonds, the remaining All-purpose Flour, the Ground Cinnamon, the lemon zest, and the Salt until the batter is thick, glossy, and completely combined.

Bake the cake

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the center is just set, the top is deep golden, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Cool and unmold

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and unmold it carefully. Leave it on a rack or plate until it is only slightly warm.

Dust and serve

Transfer the cake to a serving plate, dust generously with the Powdered Sugar, and slice into small pieces. Serve at room temperature for the cleanest texture and the fullest almond flavor.

Ingredients

Method

For 10 servings

Adjust servings

250g Blanched Almonds, finely ground
500g Granulated Sugar
125ml Water
100g Pork Lard, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
12 Egg Yolks
1 Lemon, zest only
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp All-purpose Flour, about 16 g; small binding amount used in many traditional versions
1 pinch of Salt, fine
Some Powdered Sugar, for dusting

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

499 kcal

25% of Daily kcal

Protein

9.1 g

18% RDI

Fat

28 g

6.6g sat fat

Carbs

58 g

21% RDI

Sugar

52 g

100% RDI

Fiber

3.1 g

10% RDI

Salt

0.5 g

10% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

E+ · 3.7 / 10

Comments

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Ingredients

For 10 servings

Adjust servings

250g Blanched Almonds, finely ground
500g Granulated Sugar
125ml Water
100g Pork Lard, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
12 Egg Yolks
1 Lemon, zest only
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tbsp All-purpose Flour, about 16 g; small binding amount used in many traditional versions
1 pinch of Salt, fine
Some Powdered Sugar, for dusting

🧂 Plus ~1g of salt

Toucinho do Céu

Method

Prep the pan

Preheat the oven

Cook the syrup

Cool briefly

Mix the batter

Bake the cake

Cool and unmold

Dust and serve

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

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