Join us for a tour of the sweet bread of Mexico, Latin and South America as we take a new pastry each week to discuss and share history, our favorites, and other fun facts! Call store for availability.
Low and behold we thought we had covered the most popular pan dulce, but this orange panque must have slipped past our radar. While originating from the English pound cake, this piece is found in most every bakery in Mexico. Panque (pronounced panˈke) is a phonetic Spanish pronunciation of “pound cake.”
The pound cake recipe was said to be created in Europe in the 1700s and was named for its ingredients: a pound each of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar. (It does appear in American cookbooks just about as far back however).
There appears to be some debate about whether flavorings were used in the original recipe (many recipes call for rose water or grated lemon peel).
We’ve kept a flavor popular in Mexico – orange – where this fruit is grown abundantly. Each year, around 4 million tons of oranges are produced as the 4th or 5th largest grower in the world (depending on your source) after countries such as the US and Brazil.
Be on the lookout in October again for our traditional Pan de Muerto, which has a hint of orange blossom!
¡Buen provecho!
