Salvadoran Quesadilla (Sweet Cheese Pound Cake)
Quesadilla Salvadoreña is a gluten-free cheese pound cake or quick bread that is enjoyed throughout El Salvador with a cup of coffee as a breakfast cake or snack cake.
Although rich, this gluten-free sweet cheese pound cake is indeed light and delicate.
Salvadoran cheese breakfast cake
This is not your typical Mexican quesadilla.
Salvadoran quesadillas (sometimes called sweet bread) are rich and buttery cakes or quick breads. They are traditionally made with rice flour and some dairy products and are baked in rectangular trays using brick ovens.
You can find quesadillas sold by street vendors in many of the smaller towns of El Salvador. In the bigger cities, the market is the place to buy them.
They are usually sold in the mornings for a quick breakfast. This bread is a popular Sunday morning staple in many Salvadoran homes.
The recipe and the method to make this cheese pound cake vary from house to house. Two of the ingredients that Salvadorans make sure they have on hand to make quesadillas are rice flour and ajonjoli (sesame seeds).
What cheese is used in Salvadoran quesadillas?
In El Salvador, quesadillas are made with the traditional Salvadoran cheese called queso duro blando (hard-soft cheese). It's airy and light, white in color, and hard as a brick. Many Salvadorans living in the US recommend replacing it with Cotija cheese or Parmesan cheese.
Cuajada, (milk curd). This is a soft, fall-apart fresh cheese. In the US, a mixture of cottage cheese and queso fresco would be a good substitute.
Another important ingredient is crema salvadoreña. This cream is similar to crème Fraiche. It is slightly less salty than sour cream. And its color is more yellowish. Sometimes found in Latin American grocery stores, it can easily be replaced with regular sour cream.
How to make Salvadoran cheese pound cake
Traditionally, quesadilla batter is made the day before. Then the batter is left to rest overnight at room temperature.
Nowadays, many Salvadorans bake it the same day, without resting time, and they think the flavor is just as good.
Try it both ways and decide which one you prefer.
To make the cake, start by blending the different types of cheese with milk and cream. Set it aside.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks and add the sugar a little bit at a time; then add the yolks and keep beating until well mixed.
The flour and melted butter are added to the egg mixture, making a very creamy batter.
Last, add the cheese mixture and blend with an electric mixer. The consistency of this batter is a little bit thicker than a pancake batter.
Before baking, sprinkle the batter with sesame seeds.
Although quesadillas are usually baked in rectangular pans, muffin tins or round pans can be used.
The sweetness of quesadillas varies a lot, some people like it very sweet and some not so much. For our recipe, I used ½ cup of sugar. This amount made the quesadilla just sweet enough to contrast the salty cheeses in the recipe.
It's a great combination of sweet, cheesy, light but somehow dense cake.
Salvadoran quesadillas are one of the best-known and most popular desserts and breakfast cakes in El Salvador. Foreigners love it and often take it back home with them to share with friends and family.
And now, you can make it at home!
Salvadoran Quesadilla (Sweet Cheese Pound Cake)
Quesadilla Salvadoreña is a gluten-free cheese pound cake that is enjoyed throughout El Salvador with a cup a coffee for breakfast or as a snack.
Ingredients
- 1 c (255 g / 8.9 oz) cotija cheese
- 1 c (227 g / 8 oz) cottage cheese
- ½ c (61 g / 2.15 oz) queso fresco
- ½ c (124 g / 4.4 oz) crema salvadoreña (or regular sour cream)
- ½ c (118 mL) milk
- ½ c (118 mL) whipping cream
- 2 eggs
- ½ c (100 g) sugar
- 2 c (284 g) rice flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- ½ c (113 g) melted butter
- 2 teaspoon (3 g) sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and grease (and line, if desired) a 9x13 baking pan or 2 – 9-inch round pans.
- Using an electric blender, blend cotija cheese, cottage cheese, queso fresco, sour cream, milk, and whipping cream. Set aside.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat egg whites until soft peak. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, blending as you add. Add the egg yolks and mix well.
- To the egg mixture, add 1 cup of rice flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix.
- Add the melted butter and the remaining 1 cup of rice flour. Mix well.
- Add the cheese mixture and beat until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 - 45 minutes until deeply golden. (The time is roughly the same for either a 9x13 or round pans. The cake will be done, but the length of time is for the color.)
- Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing the quesadilla from the pan.
- Serve with a cup of coffee.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 169
Lizet is Bolivian and lives in Paraguay. Through friends and travel she has developed her love of food. From Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas, there is always something new to try when you come to dinner. You can find more of Lizet's tasty creations on her website ChipaByTheDozen.com. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.
Hi! I tried this recipe because one of our subcontractor teams is entirely Salvadoran and I wanted to share with them and try it for myself.
It was really good, they loved it
I fudged the ingredients because the containers at my store for Cojita is 350g and my cottage cheese is 550g I did that instead of 400 for both or whatever it was. Ain't nobody got time for food waste! I don't eat cottage cheese because it intimidates me.
So glad you enjoyed the cake Brenten!
how long do these last when saved? should i store them at room temperature or in the fridge?
This is best if eaten the day it is baked. If you have some you need to store, we would store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or freeze individual servings, due to the cheese inside. In the refrigerator, we would try to eat it in a day or two for best texture.
Can you provide measurements for the cheeses in oz? I've never measured cheeses in cups and it's throwing off the recipe for me. Thanks in advance.
Hi Lucky. We have updated the recipe to include weights and oz for the cheeses. Enjoy!
I made this tonight for my husband who is from El Salvador. It came out so delicious. I will make more to give to his family for Christmas.I used 1 cup of queso duro,with the same given measurements of cottage cheese,queso fresco and crema.I added a pinch of extra salt for personal preference and it is so divine.Thank you for this receipe.
So glad you both enjoyed it!
Estoy muy feliz de aver encontrado esta página.
Thanks so much for this delicious Salvi recipe - thousand percent it’s like nothing you tasted before.
Glad you enjoyed it Grace!
Hi so I’ve ordered queso duro blando, cuajada, and crema salvadoreña. Do I still use the measurements as if it were the substitution?
@Rachel, use 1 cup queso duro, 1-1/2 cups cuajada, and 1/2 cup crema salvadoreña.
I have made this recipe and with the critics of my husband's family (They were born and raised in El Salvador). they all suggested to double the cotija or blanco cheese. Also double the sugar they said it wasn't sweet enough. Tweeking those 2 amounts and they are loving it. If you don't like the flavor of the Ouija to be as strong do a cup and a half of the cotija/blanco
Thank you so much for sharing Erin!
@Sarah Ozimek,
I do agree that you have to double the sugar. The rest is perfect!
It makes just one 9inch pan and three muffins.
Delicious
I managed to find some crema salvadorena - in the recipe is it replaced by the sour cream alone, or the combination of the sour cream, whipping cream and milk?
Hi Joyce. You can use it for the sour cream. Enjoy!
I haven't made a quesadilla but have enjoyed a friend's for a few years. Your recipe sounds divine. Is cinnamon something that some people add? Possibly grated the cinnamon stick? Thanks.
Hi Carol. It doesn't seem to be an ingredient people add to their quesadilla. But I think if you want to add a little bit and try it, it wouldn't ruin the flavor of this recipe.
Let us know how you like it.
About how thick should the quesadilla be?
About 3/4 of an inch.
Can I substitute the rice flour for all purpose flour?
Hi Stephanie, I know people make it with all-porpuse flour, or use pancake mix too.
I haven't tried it with either of those, and I'm not sure if 2 cups of flour would be too much or too little for this recipe.
You can cut the recipe in half and try it. I hope it turns out well.