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Pío quinto
Pío quinto: Granada's rum-soaked sponge with custard and cinnamon
Granada's convent cooks named this dessert after Pope Pius V, and it still appears on Nicaraguan tables at Christmas and during the Purísima celebrations in early December: a light sponge soaked in spiced rum syrup, covered with a thick vanilla custard and dusted with cinnamon. This recipe contains alcohol, and the rum is stirred in off the heat so it is not cooked away, which makes it for adults only. For an alcohol-free version use the water and vanilla swap given in the ingredient note. The common mistake is spooning the custard on before the syrup has soaked in, which leaves a soggy layer in between. Chef's tip: make it the day before; after a night in the fridge the sponge, syrup and custard settle into one creamy slice.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 4 eggsat room temperature
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 4 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 oz buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the rum syrup
For the custard
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To finish
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 10 prunes (optional)soaked in hot water
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 20 × 30 cm baking dish.
Step 2: Whisk 4 eggs and 4 oz caster sugar with an electric whisk for 6–8 minutes until pale, tripled in volume and a ribbon of mixture sits on top for a few seconds.
8 minStep 3: Sift in 4 oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder and fold gently with a large spoon, then fold in 1 oz butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract without knocking out the air.
Step 4: Pour into the dish and bake for 22–25 minutes, until golden and springy and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the dish.
25 minStep 5: For the syrup, simmer 1 cup water, 5 ½ oz sugar, 1 cinnamon stick and 3 whole cloves for 8 minutes. Take off the heat, remove the spices and stir in ¼ cup dark rum.
8 minStep 6: Prick the cooled sponge all over with a skewer and spoon over the warm syrup slowly, letting each spoonful sink in. Leave for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 7: For the custard, whisk 4 egg yolks, 3 ½ oz sugar and 1 ⅜ oz cornflour with a little of 2 ½ cups whole milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk until steaming, then whisk it into the yolks.
Step 8: Return to the pan and cook over a medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 5–6 minutes until it thickens and a couple of slow bubbles break the surface. Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Keep whisking, or the cornflour turns lumpy.
6 minStep 9: Spread the hot custard over the soaked sponge, dot with 10 prunes if using, and press cling film onto the surface. Cool, then chill for at least 2 hours.
Step 10: Dust with 1 tsp ground cinnamon just before cutting into squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pío quinto take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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