Pionono de Santa Fé is a cake from the Spanish town of Santa Fe in Granada. Check out our Pionono recipe and prepare it at home.
The Pionono de Santa Fe is made with a slab of sponge cake dipped in syrup, filled with egg yolk and cinnamon, rolled, and topped with a crown of toasted egg yolk.
Contents
Where does Pionono originate from?
The Pionono de Santa Fe is a small cake that, since the end of the 19th century, has been made in the town of Santa Fe, Granada.
Its name comes from Pope Pius IX, whom the confectioner Ceferino Isla González wanted to honor on the 50th anniversary of his death. To do so, he created a sweet that recalled his plump figure and was named after him.
Read also: Traditional Spanish desserts + recipes
How to make Pionono
Bizcocho
1. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and grease it with a pinch of butter.

2. Add 0.5 ounces (15 grams) of wheat flour and 0.7 ounces (20 grams) of cornflour to a bowl.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and add the egg yolk to the bowl with flour. Set the egg whites aside for later use.

4. Add 1.4 ounces (40 grams) of milk and stir everything until homogenized.

5. Whip the egg whites in another bowl and, when they are foamy, add 1.4 ounces (40 grams) of sugar, little by little.
6. Beat until stiff peaks are formed.

7. Add the egg yolk mixture and mix everything well with a spatula. Use smooth and enveloping movements from bottom to top not to lose the air incorporated with the beating.

8. Pour the mixture on the baking paper and spread it over the entire surface, ensuring equal thickness.

9. Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180ºC) for about ten minutes or until it begins to brown.
10. Remove from the oven and let cool down.
Pastry Yolk
1. Add four eggs to a bowl and weigh them without the shell. Afterward, add 3.2 ounces (90 grams) of water and mix everything.

2. Add the same amount of sugar (in our case, 2.8 ounces or 80 grams) and 0,5 ounces (15 grams) of refined cornflour to another bowl and mix well.

3. Add the sugar/ flour mixture to the bowl with the eggs and mix well until there are no flour lumps left.

4. Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir occasionally. When the mixture thickens, stir vigorously, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Let it cool down!

Syrup
1. Add 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of water and 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of sugar to a small pot.
2. Cook over low heat for five minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Assembly
1. Brush the sponge cake with the syrup.

2. Cover the sponge cake with the Pastry Yolk (leave around 1/3 of the Pastry Yolk for later to crown the Piononos) and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

3. Roll the filled sponge cake on the long side and cut it into around 0.8 inches (2 cm) pieces.
4. Crown each Pionono with a portion of the Pastry Yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Afterward, place the Piononos under the grill for a couple of minutes.

5. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.

Spanish Pionono de Santa Fé Recipe

Ingredients
Bizcocho
- 0.5 ounces (15 grams) wheat flour
- 0.7 ounces (20 grams) corn flour
- 2 eggs
- 1.4 ounces (40 grams) milk
- 1.4 ounces (40 grams) sugar
Pastry Yolk
- 4 eggs
- 3.2 ounces (90 grams) water
- Sugar (same weight as the eggs without shell)
- 0,5 ounces (15 grams) refined corn flour
Syrup
- 2.1 ounces (60 grams) sugar
- 2.1 ounces (60 grams) water
Other
- Butter
- Cinnamon
Instructions
Bizcocho
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and grease it with a pinch of butter.
- Add wheat flour and cornflour to a bowl.
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and add the egg yolk to the bowl with flour. Set the egg whites aside for later use.
- Add milk and stir everything until homogenized.
- Whip the egg whites in another bowl and, when they are foamy, add sugar, little by little.
- Beat until stiff peaks are formed.
- Add the egg yolk mixture and mix everything well with a spatula. Use smooth and enveloping movements from bottom to top to not to lose the air incorporated with the beating.
- Pour the mixture on the baking paper and spread it over the entire surface, making sure it is of equal thickness.
- Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180ºC) for about ten minutes or until it begins to brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool down.
Pastry Yolk
- Add four eggs to a bowl and weigh them without the shell. Afterward, add water and mix everything.
- Add the same amount of sugar and refined cornflour to another bowl and mix well.
- Add the sugar/ flour mixture to the bowl with the eggs and mix well until there are no flour lumps left.
- Heat up the mixture over medium heat and stir occasionally. When the mixture begins to thicken, stir vigorously, bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Let it cool down!
Syrup
- Add water and sugar to a small pot.
- Cook over low heat for five minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool down.
Assembly
- Brush the sponge cake with the syrup.
- Cover the sponge cake with the Pastry Yolk (leave around 1/3 of the Pastry Yolk for later to crown the Piononos) and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
- Roll the filled sponge cake on the long side and cut it in around 0.8 inches (2 cm) pieces.
- Crown each Pionono with a portion of the Pastry Yolk and sprinkle with sugar. Afterward, place the Piononos under the grill for a couple of minutes.
- Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 803Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 287mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 143gFiber: 12gSugar: 2gProtein: 23g
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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gate io
Tuesday 7th of February 2023
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Dani CRO
Saturday 11th of December 2021
And what about rum and honey and almonds?