Toucinho do Céu
Ingredients
- 125 ml water
- 300 g sugar
- 250 g ground almonds
- 60 g butter
- 5 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- zest of 1 orange
Despite the name, there's no bacon involved — the 'bacon from heaven' refers to the lard once used in convent kitchens where this cake originated, in the Murça region of northern Portugal. It's a rich, naturally gluten-free cake made from ground almonds cooked into a sugar syrup and bound with plenty of egg yolks, giving it a dense, moist, almost fudgy texture.
Method
Make a syrup by heating the sugar and water until it dissolves and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
Stir the ground almonds into the warm syrup until well combined.
Stir in the butter until melted and incorporated.
Add the egg yolks and whole eggs one at a time, stirring constantly to prevent them from cooking.
Stir in the almond extract and orange zest.
Pour into a buttered and lined cake pan.
Bake at around 180°C (350°F) for 28-30 minutes, until just set and lightly golden — avoid overbaking, as it can turn chewy.
Cool before slicing; dust with powdered sugar to serve.
