Mantecadas de Astorga

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Medium

Tiny, airy butter sponges with a rounded golden dome and sugar-flecked top, baked in square paper boxes. We use all butter and folded paper cases for a home version. Makes 18 cakes in about 46 minutes.

Prep 30 min

Cook 16 min

Total 46 min

Servings 18

Ingredients

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servings

4 (200 g)eggs, room temperature
⅔ cup (130 g)granulated sugar
1 ½ cups (180 g)all-purpose flour, sifted
⅔ cup (140 g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 pinch (1 g)fine salt
1 ½ tbsp (20 g)coarse sugar

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Instructions

Cut eighteen 7 inch (18 cm) squares of parchment or kraft paper and fold each into an open box about 2 inch (5 cm) square. Set them in muffin tins to hold their shape.
Heat the oven to 400 F (205 C).
Whip the eggs, sugar and salt on high speed 6 to 8 minutes, until pale and tripled in volume.
Fold in the flour in two additions with a spatula, keeping the volume.
Fold in the cooled melted butter in two additions until no streaks remain.
Fill each paper box about two-thirds full and sprinkle a little coarse sugar in the center.
Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until domed and golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the paper cases on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Tips

Whip until the batter falls from the beater in a thick ribbon; that is the only leavening.
Fold the butter in gently to avoid deflating the foam.
A hot oven gives the dome and toasted edges.
Good with hot chocolate or coffee.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make mantecadas de astorga?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 16 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 18 cakes (18 servings).

How should I store mantecadas de astorga?

Keep airtight at room temperature up to 3 days.

Can I make mantecadas de astorga ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Small, soft butter-and-egg sponge cakes from Astorga, baked in square kraft paper cases; the name is protected by a geographical indication. Serve it with hot chocolate or coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 18 servings this recipe makes.

140 Calories / serving

7.5g Fat

16.0g Carbs

2.5g Protein

8.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (18 servings): ~2520 cal · 135g fat · 288g carbs · 45g protein · 151g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.