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 1/2 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!