Mexican Panqué de Nuez

This Panqué de Nuez is so buttery and nutty! Topped with cajeta and crunchy pecans it can be enjoyed for dessert with fresh berries and whipped cream on the side or for breakfast with coffee.

About The Recipe

Panqué de Nuez is a delectable and tasty cake with a spongy texture and a nutty flavor. The name comes from the phonetic interpretation of pound cake which sounds almost like panqué.

This particular recipe features all the ingredients necessary for a traditional pound cake such as all-purpose flour, eggs, and butter. Plus some chopped pecans add extra texture and flavor.

In Spanish, nuez means nut, hence the name of this recipe. But is also known by different names such as pan de nuez or pastel de nuez, even though sometimes the recipe varies accordingly.

There are a large variety of flavors of this spongy and dense bread that features some type of nuts, from walnuts to pistachio, to this recipe with pecans (nueces).

And just as panqué de plátano (banana pound cake), this cake-like bread can be found at any panadería, aka bakery, in Mexico.

Ingredients Needed

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour. If you measure in cups, make sure you do it by spooning the flour into the cup and not taking it with the cup from the bag.
• Nuts: We are using here pecan nuts, but feel free to swap for hazelnuts or walnuts, both options work fine in this recipe.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar is recommended.
• Butter: This cake is buttery, so you will need about 1 ½ sticks of butter which is about 170-180g. Check this butter conversion chart for more info.
• Eggs: I used 3 medium eggs, each medium egg weighs between 53-63g.
• Cream: The recipe calls for Crema Mexicana, if you can’t find it where you live, use sour cream or plain greek yogurt.
• Milk: Use whole milk or replace it with water.
• Baking powder: Royal is the most popular brand in Mexico, of course, you can add your favorite brand.
• Baking soda: Also known as bicarbonate.
• Vanilla extract: Use vanilla extract or sub with vanilla seeds from a pod.
• Cinnamon: It adds an earthy and subtle flavor to this panque.
• Pinch of salt: Along with baking powder and soda it makes the cake rise.

For the topping:

• Cajeta: You can use your favorite brand of cajeta quemada or make our recipe for this delicious Mexican caramel. Or, you can also sub with dulce de leche.
• Pecans: Roughly chopped, they add a nice crunch kick to this cake. Sub with your favorite type of nuts.

How To Make Panqué de Nuez

Preheat your oven to 360°F/180°C. Grease and flour a loaf pan about 12×4 inches (30x11xcm).

Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix at high speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

With the mixer running at medium speed, add one egg, wait until is combined then add the other eggs one at a time too.

Mix in vanilla extract and ground cinnamon too.

Set the mixer to low speed and add half of the flour mixture + half of the Mexican crema. Mix until combined.

Add the remaining flour, cream, and milk. Set the mixer to medium speed and mix until you’ll have a dense batter.

Turn off the mixer, add the ½ cup of chopped pecans and use a spatula to gently combine everything.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use the spatula to even the top.

Place the pan in the medium rack of your preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is nicely golden outside.

Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully, unmold it and place it on the cooling rack again. Allow to cool down until it reaches room temperature.

Once the panqué is nicely cooled, spread the cajeta or dulce de leche on top.

Then sprinkle the remaining pecans making sure they nicely cover all over.

Serve your panqué de nuez with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk. Read below for more ideas on how to serve.

Recipe Notes

• Do not open the oven until 30 minutes have passed, at least, or the cake will deflate.
• You can replace the loaf pan with a 9-inch (23cm) round pan if you want.
• The cake and pecans topping is optional, you can just dust the panqué with confectioners sugar and enjoy right away.

How To Serve Pan de Nuez

This tasty cake-like bread can be eaten in the morning for breakfast or in the late afternoon for merienda along with a hot drink or cold milk.

Mexicans love to eat this cake with café de olla or dipped into a foamy hot chocolate or cappuccino.

But you can actually serve it as dessert sliced with a side of fresh berries, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream on the side.

How To Store

Allow panqué de nuez to cool down completely and place it in a cake stand or a container with a lid. It will last 3-4 days on your kitchen counter.

You can also freeze it for up to 2 months. Just wrap it tightly with cling film and place it in a resealable bag before storing it.

If you want to freeze it, we recommend doing so without the toppings.

When you are ready to eat, thaw the cake overnight in the fridge and then allow it to reach room temperature. You can also warm it up in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

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