Portuguese Pastry Post-Doc: Queque

Though we visited one of the nicest cupcake shops in Lisbon, we figured the concept of the cupcake was imported to Portugal. However, we found the indigenous Portuguese version of cupcakes: the queque. Alternately described as “cupcakes” or “muffins,” queques are little cakes, typically yellow sponge cake with a hint of citrus, though they may also be chocolate. The typical shape of a queque is also a little different than a conventional cupcake, with ruffled edges, as seen in this Portuguese recipe. We found a pack of mini chocolate queques in the supermarket and we were extremely excited – a taste of home. Here is a recipe for basic queques in both Portuguese and English.

Queque graffiti in Portugal – by Graffiti Land