Until recently, I had never heard of mantecadas. Which isn’t really a surprise, there are countless baked goods from all over the world that I’ve never heard of. But, I really like trying new things, and finding baked treats to make is almost always a delight.
So, what are mantecadas? It depends on who you ask.
The original mantecadas are a neutral, sweet, almost pound cake that originates in Spain. They’re traditionally baked in square or rectangular paper containers, kind of like a precursor to muffin cups but a little firmer. They’re also kind of bland; they’re really just sweet and don’t have a ton of flavor tot hem.
The recipe I found is actually a variant that comes from Mexico, and is more adapted to home baking rather than commercial baking. It has two main differences from the Spanish version. One is that it’s basically muffins, baked in muffin tins with muffin cups. Apparently, red is traditional, so that’s what I used.
The other difference is the flavor. These have orange added to them, using either orange zest or orange extract. This gives them a subtle orange-and-cream flavor that is much more enticing to me than just a basic pound cake.
If you’ve ever made muffins before, you pretty much already know what to do. Give it a shot!
Mexican Orange Mantecadas
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Muffin Tin
- Muffin Cups Red is traditional
- Rubber Spatula
- Flour Sifter
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1⅔ Cups Flour
- 1¼ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- 3 Eggs Room temp.
- ⅔ Cup Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Milk Room temp.
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract Or 1 vanilla, 1 orange, for extra-orangey flavor.
- 2 Tsp Orange Zest Fresh-zested from an orange.
- ½ Cup Butter Melted and slightly cooled.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉. Line your muffin tin with muffin cups.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.1⅔ Cups Flour, 1¼ Tsp Baking Powder, ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- In your mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.⅔ Cup Sugar, 3 Eggs
- Add the milk, vanilla extract, and orange zest, to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix this well for another minute, and keep the mixer going on low.⅔ Cup Milk, 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract, 2 Tsp Orange Zest
- Slowly add the melted butter to the mixer until it's fully combined.½ Cup Butter
- Using your rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture about a third at a time. Gt it incorporated but avoid over-mixing it, which will make the mantecadas dense.
- Let your batter rest for about 15 minutes, allowing the baking powder and soda to activate.
- Fill your muffin cups about ¾ of the way full with batter. Since they will rise while baking, you don't want to over-fill them. Optionally, you can top each cup with a bit of finishing sugar.
- Turn the oven heat down to 350℉ and put the tin in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for a bit before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely, then enjoy!