Cavacas – Portuguese Popovers 

Cavacas are traditional Portuguese popover-style pastries known for their light and airy texture with a crisp exterior and soft, delicate interior. Made using pantry staples—flour, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla—the batter is beaten vigorously to incorporate air, which gives the pastries their signature puff. Once baked to a golden brown, they’re dipped or drizzled in a simple icing made from icing sugar, lemon zest, and milk. Perfect for breakfast or as a dessert with coffee, these charming treats offer the ideal balance of sweet and tender.

Ingredients

• Batter:
  
  

  • 2 cups (≈ 240 g) all‑purpose flour
    
    

  • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable or canola oil
    
    

  • ½ cup (120 ml) milk (dairy or non‑dairy)
    
    

  • 8 large eggs, at room temperature
    
    

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Icing:
  
  

  • 2 cups (≈ 240 g) confectioners’ (icing) sugar
    
    

  • Zest of one lemon (optional)
    
    

  • ~2 tbsp (30 ml) milk (adjust to desired consistency)
    
    

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and grease a 24‑cup mini muffin tin, two 12‑cup muffin tins, or a popover tin.
   
   

2. Using an electric mixer on medium‑high or a stand mixer (speed ~6), beat all batter ingredients continuously for about 20 minutes—this aerates the dough so the cavacas rise while baking.
   
   

3. Fill each prepared tin ¾ full for mini popovers or ½ full for regular‑size muffins.
   
   

4. Bake on the middle rack: roughly 45 minutes for slightly moist interiors, or up to 1 hour for a drier finish. They should be golden and puffed.
   
   

5. Remove from oven and cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Note: cavacas will slightly deflate as they cool—that’s normal.
   
   

6. While still warm or cooled, dip the tops in the icing or spoon drizzle over each cavaca. Adjust icing consistency with extra milk or sugar as needed.
   
   

7. Optionally, fill your cavacas with whipped cream, lemon curd, or pudding just before serving to keep crispness.
   
   

Nutrients (per cavaca, approximately for yield of 24)

• Calories: ~185 kcal
  
  

• Carbohydrates: ~18 g
  
  

• Protein: ~3 g
  
  

• Fat: ~11 g (mostly from oil and egg yolks)
  
  

• Sugar: ~10 g
  
  

• Saturated fat: ~1 g; Cholesterol: ~55 mg; Sodium: ~24 mg; Fiber: ~1 g; Calcium: ~17 mg; Iron: ~1 mg; Potassium: ~40 mg