DessertsMediumFree

Marquesote (Oaxacan Light Sponge Cake)

Name: Marquesote (Oaxacan Light Sponge Cake)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 piezas grandes Eggs; 150 g Caster sugar; 30 g Lard; 2 tbsp Icing sugar; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 120 g Plain flour or corn flour; 1 tsp Lemon or orange zest

55 min (20 prep + 35 cook) Medium 8 servings Oaxaca

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Light colonial sponge from Oaxaca and Veracruz, baked in a clay mould.

About this recipe

Marquesote is a light, airy sponge cake of colonial origin made in Oaxaca and Veracruz since the seventeenth century, characterised by being baked in a lard-greased clay mould, which gives it a golden crust and a unique flavour. Made with eggs, corn or wheat flour and sugar, it is surprisingly simple in its ingredients but requires technique to achieve that light and airy texture. It is enjoyed as a dessert, afternoon snack or at religious celebrations.

History & Origin

Marquesote is one of the most representative colonial sweets of the baking tradition of south-eastern Mexico, with particular roots in Oaxaca and Veracruz. Its name derives from 'marqués' (marquis), though historians do not agree on whether it refers to the Marqués del Valle - Hernán Cortés, whose estate covered much of southern Mexico - or to some other colonial noble who popularised this dessert at banquets. What is certain is that its preparation dates back to the early colonial period, when convents and great house kitchens began fusing Spanish baking techniques with local ingredients such as corn flour. The Oaxacan version is distinguished by the use of the clay mould, which distributes heat evenly and slowly, allowing the sponge to rise uniformly without browning too quickly. Marquesote is today a dessert found mainly in artisan markets and traditional bakeries in Oaxaca, Tehuantepec and Veracruz, and its preparation is part of the intangible gastronomic heritage of these regions.

Estimated cost

£4.50

Total cost

£0.56

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

210

Calories

Protein

34g

Carbohydrates

Fat

0.5g

Fibre

120mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Generously grease a clay mould (or a 22 cm round tin) with lard and dust with flour to prevent the sponge from sticking.
2
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks. Set aside.
3
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy (5–7 minutes). Add the vanilla extract and the lemon or orange zest.
4
Sift the flour with the baking powder over the beaten yolks and fold in with gentle folding movements. Add the stiff egg whites in three batches, always using soft folding movements to retain the air.
5
Pour the mixture into the prepared mould. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the surface is golden. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve dusted with icing sugar.