This Traditional Spanish Cake Is So Good, It Once Won Gold At The World's Fair

If a recipe can stand the test of time, you know it's one well worth considering. Such is the case with ponche Segoviano, a traditional Spanish cake that is easy to spot and even better to bite into. One of the cake's most quickly identifiable aspects is a criss-cross diamond-shaped pattern etched into the surface of the dessert. Moist layers of syrup-soaked sponge cake are encased in home-made marzipan and crowned with a generous layer of fine sugar that is melted by a hot iron or blow torch marking the special pattern. 

In 1926, confectioner Frutos García Martín made the first ponche Segoviano at his cafe named El Alcázar in the city of Segovia. Though we don't know exactly what ingredients went into his dish — to this day the original recipe remains a guarded secret — we can safely assume that lemon, eggs, sugar, milk, flour, cinnamon, and almonds were involved. Word quickly spread about this delicious and juicy cake, and the ruling king during Martín's time instructed the baker to take his recipe to the 1929 Universal Exhibition held in Barcelona. There, the ponche Segoviano bagged the grand prize. 

Frutos García Martín set out to create a recipe that would become linked with Sevogia, and he sure did. His bakery, next to the cathedral, has remained committed to making the rectangular dessert by hand for decades. Slices of ponche Segoviano offer a treat that is soft, juicy, and aromatic, and the dessert is perfect to enjoy along with a typically Spanish coffee like a café solo, cortado, or cafe con leche, or perhaps a small serving of herb liquor.

Though other bakers have added enhancements to their interpretation of Martín's award-winning recipe, like drizzling whisky, amaretto, or rum directly onto the cake for added flavor and moistness, the tried-and-true favorite remains a stunner. And you can still sample it directly from Confitería El Alcázar. If you don't see any vacation time in your future, however, be warned that if you try to make this for yourself at home, a from-scratch recipe can take around 12 hours to put together (though shortcuts can be made to make a layer cake topped with marzipan in under one hour). And if you're looking for more Spanish desserts to try, we've compiled a handy list of 17 very tasty examples.