Panqués
"Se pesan los huevos que se quieran y se pone igual cantidad de harina y mantequilla de lo que pesen los huevos. Se ponen los huevos en una cazuela y alli mismo se revuelve la harina y la mantequilla y azucar en polvo al gusto, se bate muy bien hasta que se le vea el fondo al trasto. Se untan los moldes de mantequilla y se les pone polvos de bizcocho, se pone la masa en los moldes hasta la mitad y se meten al horno."
English Translation
"Weigh the desired number of eggs and use the same weight of flour and butter as the eggs. Place the eggs in a saucepan and mix in the flour, butter, and powdered sugar to taste. Beat very well until you can see the bottom of the bowl. Grease the molds with butter and dust them with cake flour. Fill the molds halfway with the batter and place them in the oven."
Note on the Original Text
This recipe is written in the intuitive, oral tradition style, intended for cooks comfortable without minute measurements or exhaustively detailed steps. Quantities are by weight, using the eggs as a baseline, and units like grams were not standard in home kitchens—balance scales were commonplace. Spelling and vocabulary—like 'polvos de bizcocho' (likely fine breadcrumbs or flour for dusting)—reflect colloquial early 20th-century Mexican Spanish. The lack of leavening agents (no baking powder or soda) is noteworthy: instead, the recipe relies on the aeration from thorough beating to create a light crumb.
Title
Recetas de Pardo (1916)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Hortensia Volante
Era
1916
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A charming handwritten cookbook from the early 20th century, Recetas de Pardo whisks readers into a world of culinary delights, blending traditional and French-inspired recipes with the personal flair of its author. Complete with an extra loose page of tasty secrets, it's a tasteful journey for any gastronomic adventurer.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe originates from 'Recetas de Pardo', a handwritten cookbook by Hortensia Volante from 1916. Written in Mexico during a period when French culinary influence was strong among the upper and middle classes, it blends local traditions with European techniques. Home cooks in the early 20th century documented recipes in concise, almost shorthand form, geared toward those already familiar with kitchen basics. The recipe's flexible measure by weight, rather than fixed volume, reflects both European traditions (notably French pound cakes, or 'quatre-quarts') and the resourceful approach of cooks who used what they had on hand.
Back in 1916, this panqué would have been mixed in a clay or metal cazuela (a deep, wide bowl), and the batter beaten vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon or wire whisk, as electric hand-mixers were not yet common. Individual molds—often made of tin or earthenware—were greased with butter (applied by hand or with a brush) and dusted with breadcrumbs, which was a typical method to prevent sticking before the widespread use of non-stick bakeware. Baking would take place in a wood- or coal-fired oven, carefully monitored for even heat.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Servings
12
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 8.5 oz eggs (about 4 large eggs, weighed in shell)
- 8.5 oz all-purpose flour (plain wheat flour)
- 8.5 oz unsalted butter (softened)
- 6.3–8.5 oz granulated sugar (to taste; superfine if available)
- Extra butter, for greasing molds
- Extra flour or fine breadcrumbs, for dusting molds
Instructions
- Begin by deciding how many eggs you wish to use (for example, 4 large eggs, about 8.5 oz).
- Weigh the eggs in their shells, then measure equal weights of white flour (8.5 oz), unsalted butter (8.5 oz), and granulated sugar to taste—start with 6.3 oz if you prefer less sweet, or match the full amount to 8.5 oz for a richer palate.
- Soften the butter at room temperature.
- Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the flour, softened butter, and sugar directly to the eggs.
- Beat the mixture thoroughly by hand with a whisk or with an electric mixer until the batter becomes pale and you see the bottom of the bowl between strokes.
- Grease small cake or muffin molds with butter and dust them lightly with flour (or fine breadcrumbs if you want to echo the original method).
- Fill the molds halfway with the batter.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cakes are golden on top.
- Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and turn out to serve.
Estimated Calories
290 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparation takes about 15 minutes, including weighing, mixing, and getting the pans ready. Baking takes around 20–25 minutes more. Each serving has about 290 calories if you use 4 eggs and 240g of each main ingredient. This recipe makes 12 cakes or cupcakes.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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