Portugal Cakes

Cuisine, December 1982

30 minutes — 15 cakes (or 4 dozen mini cakes)

Ingredients

1	cup	unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1	cup	sugar
4		eggs (separated, at room temperature)
1⁄4	cup	dry sherry
1	cup	all-purpose flour
1	pinch	grated nutmeg
1	cup	dried currants

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F butter muffin pans with 4 ounce cups.

Beat butter in large mixer bowl until creamy; gradually beat in sugar until well blended. Beat egg yolks with sherry in small bowl until combined; add to butter mixture. Beat until batter is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Beat egg whites in clean mixer bowl with clean beaters until stiff peaks form; fold whites into batter. Sift flour and nutmeg over batter; beat until smooth. Gently fold in currants.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling each cup two-thirds full; bake until tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Notes

Smaller cakes can be made in muffin pans with 1 ounce cups. Bake in 350°F oven until tops are golden brown, about 20 minutes.