Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Salvadoran Quesadilla)

Quesadilla Salvadoreña is a gluten-free cheese lb cake or quick bread that is enjoyed throughout El Salvador with a cup a coffee as a breakfast cake or snack cake. Although rich, this gluten-free sweet cheese pound cake is indeed light and delicate. This is not your typical Mexican quesadilla. Salvadoran quesadillas (sometimes called sweet bread) are a rich and buttery cake or quick bread. 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. This 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).

1 cup cotija cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
½ cup queso fresco
½ cup crema salvadoreña or regular sour cream
½ cup milk
½ cup whipping cream
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 cup rice flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ cup butter, melted
2 tsp. sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line a 9x13" baking pan or 2 (9") 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 Tbsp. 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 tsp. baking powder. Mix. Add the butter, melted and 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 the 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 colour).

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.

Makes 24 servings.