Penacova Snow Cakes
The 2025 regional cookbook documents Nevadas as small light cakes that are hollowed, filled with a yolk-and-crumb cream, and coated in two stages with egg white and sugar. The publication does not fix the amount of sugar for the sponge, filling or coating, so it remains ‘as needed’ in this faithful transcription.
- Yields
- Not stated by the source
- Prep
- Not stated by the source
- Cook
- Until baked without browning; duration not stated
Ingredients
- 6 Eggs, separated
- 250 g / 8.8 oz, plus extra for the moulds Fine wheat flour
- as needed; quantity not stated White sugar for the sponge
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- as needed Butter for the moulds
- 3 Egg yolks for the filling
- 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz Water
- 15 g / 0.5 oz Crumb removed from the cakes
- as needed; quantity not stated Sugar for the filling
- 3 Egg whites for the coating
- as needed; quantity not stated Sifted sugar for the coating
Method
Separate the six eggs. Beat all six yolks with sugar until light; add the flour and baking powder, then fold in all six stiffly beaten whites.
Divide among small buttered and floured moulds. Bake without allowing them to brown; the source states neither temperature nor duration.
Cut a small lid from the top of each cake and carefully remove some crumb, reserving 15 g.
Mix three yolks with the crumb. Heat the 100 ml water with enough sugar to sweeten, remove from the heat and add the yolk-and-crumb mixture.
Beat without curdling, then return to the heat only until the egg cooks, without over-thickening. Cool until warm, fill the cakes and replace their lids.
Beat the three whites with enough sifted sugar to make a thick coating.
With the domed side facing down, coat the sides and base first. Let them dry, turn them over and coat the top.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
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