Sericaia (Alentejo Layered Custard Cake)

Name: Sericaia (Alentejo Layered Custard Cake)
Cuisine: Portugal
Ingredients: 1 L Whole milk; 8 large Eggs (separated); 250 g Granulated sugar; 80 g Plain flour; 1 Cinnamon stick; 1 strip Lemon peel; for generous dusting Ground cinnamon

A recipe from Portugal.

🇵🇹 Portugaldesserttraditionalregionalbakedalentejovegetarianintricate

Sericaia (Alentejo Layered Custard Cake)

Nutrition (per serving)

320Calories

8 gProtein

38 gCarbs

14 gFat

28 gSugar

80 mgSalt

Ingredients

1 L Whole milk
8 large Eggs (separated)
250 g Granulated sugar
80 g Plain flour
1 Cinnamon stick
1 strip Lemon peel
for generous dusting Ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Generously grease deep round baking dish (≈22–24 cm). Boil milk with cinnamon stick and lemon peel 5 min, then remove aromatics.
Whisk yolks with 150 g sugar and flour until smooth. Slowly temper hot milk into yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Return to low heat, cook gently stirring constantly until thickened like thin custard (do not boil). Cool slightly.
Beat whites to stiff peaks, gradually add remaining 100 g sugar. Fold whites into cooled custard in three gentle additions to keep airy.
Pour thin layer (≈1 cm) into dish, bake 8–10 min until set and lightly golden. Repeat layering and baking 4–6 times until all mixture used (each layer sets before next). Final layer bake 15–20 min longer until deep golden.
Cool completely in tin. Dust very generously with cinnamon (should look snowy). Serve at room temperature or chilled.