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Bica de Trives
Bica de Trives: Ourense's buttery cream cake with a crackly sugar top
Pobra de Trives, a mountain town in Ourense, holds a festival every August in honour of its bica, a rich, close-textured cake made with fresh cream and butter from local dairies. It is baked in a rectangular tin, sold in paper and eaten in thick slices with coffee or a glass of milk. The sugar scattered on top bakes into a thin, crackly crust. A common mistake is overmixing once the flour goes in, which makes it tough; fold just until no streaks remain. Chef's tip: whip the egg whites separately and fold them in last for a lighter crumb.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 24 × 12 cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
5 minStep 2: Beat the egg yolks from the 4 eggs with 7 oz caster sugar until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in 3 ½ oz butter and ¾ cup double cream.
5 minStep 3: Sift 8 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt over the mixture and fold in gently.
3 minStep 4: Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to firm peaks that stand up straight. Fold them into the batter in two goes, keeping it airy.
5 minStep 5: Pour into the tin and sprinkle the top evenly with 2 tbsp sugar. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until risen, deep golden with a crackled top, and a skewer comes out clean.
45 minStep 6: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out on its paper and cool on a rack. It slices best the next day.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bica de Trives take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 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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