• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden

A recipe blog by a Chilean living in the USA

  • Chilean
    • Chilean Appetizers & Beverages
    • Chilean Breads
    • Chilean Breakfast
    • Chilean Cakes & Bakes
    • Chilean Cookies & Candy
    • Chilean Desserts
    • Chilean Jams & Jellies
    • Chilean Meat
    • Chilean Once
    • Chilean Pasta, Rice & Potatoes
    • Chilean Poultry
    • Chilean Salads
    • Chilean Sandwich
    • Chilean Seafood
    • Chilean Soups & Starters
    • Chilean Vegetables
  • Other Cuisines
    • Argentinian Food
    • Peruvian Food
    • US American food
    • Mexican food
    • Latin American Food
  • Savory
    • Breakfast
      • Eggs
    • Appetizers
      • Cocktails
    • Entrees
      • Beef
      • Empanadas (EN)
      • Chicken
      • Fish
      • Pork
      • Shellfish
        • Langostino Recipes
    • Side dishes
      • Pasta
      • Rice
      • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches (en)
    • Soups
    • Breads
  • Sweet
    • Cakes & Bakes
    • Kuchen
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Desserts
      • Lucuma Recipes
    • Jam, Frosting & Jellies
    • Pies
    • Sweet bread
  • Gardening
  • Español

Chilean Pan de Pascua

November 15, 2019 by Pilar Hernandez
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Versión en español

Chilean Pan de Pascua

Traditional Chilean Pan de Pascua, or Fruitcakes, are many. The classic version in my family is this Fruitcake with Dulce de Leche. Every year, I experiment with different versions, and the truth is all of them have their charm. This year, I wanted to bake a fruitcake without butter to make it cheaper.

The name “Pan de Pascua” is misleading. “Pascua” is Easter in Spanish but, for unknown reasons, Christmas in Chile is also known as “Pascuas.” We don’t eat this fruitcake for Easter, I promise. It’s an end-of-year Holiday cake usually served with a cold glass of Cola de mono.

In general, it is good to let the fruitcake rest, wrapped in plastic and stored in a bag for a couple of days. This rest helps prevent crumbling, and it also improves the taste.

You can omit the candied fruit or replace it with the same amount of nuts, chopped figs, apricots, candied pineapple, or whatever you prefer.

If you want it darker: add two tablespoons of cocoa powder or replace 1/2 cup of flour with rye flour.

In the US, candied fruit is easy to find in all supermarkets at this time. If you use molasses instead of Chancaca use the full or mild flavor versions (affiliate link), not the more bitter blackstrap.

Chilean Pan de Pascua or fruitcake
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Chilean Pan de Pascua

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

The most traditional recipe for fruitcake in Chile.

  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 12 portions 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup whole almonds
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
  • 1 cup candied fruit (can be omitted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • the zest of a lemon
  • 2 tablespoons rum, pisco or brandy
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup mild or full flavor molasses or Chancaca (225 grams diluted in 1 cup of water)
  • 3 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Mix the nuts with the candied fruit, spices, lemon zest, and rum the night before. Stir well and cover with a cloth or plastic kitchen.
    Fruit and nuts for pan de pascua
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
  3. Prepare an 8″ baking pan, cover the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and grease all sides with butter.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the oil, sugar, molasses, or Chancaca until incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating 30 seconds or until mixed.
    Molasses and wet ingredients
  5. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
    Adding dried ingredients
  6. Add the nuts and fruit and incorporate them with a spatula. Transfer into the pan and smooth the surface.
    Adding the fruit Raw fruitcake
  7. If you want the Pan de Pascua to protrude from the pan, fill it 3/4 of the way. If you want it flush with the edge of the pan, fill the pan 2/3 of the way with the dough (this is recommended if you plan to glaze it).
  8. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and a half or until a stick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool and wrap in plastic.

For the glaze

  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • Three tablespoons milk
  • a few drops of lemon juice

Mix well until you get a bright and thick glaze with a glue-like consistency. Cover the bread and decorate with almonds or candied maraschinos. Let dry thoroughly before packing, about 2-3 days. How long it takes for the glaze to dry completely will depend on the environmental humidity.
Frosting flooding the pan de pascua Decorating Fruitcake decoratedChilean Fruitcake Chilean Pan de Pascua

  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Oven baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean

Keywords: chilean fruitcake, chilean pan de pascua

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @chileanfoodandgarden on Instagram and hashtag it #chileanfoodandgarden

Sharing is caring!


The Chilean Kitchen*




 

If you enjoyed this recipe, you would also enjoy my cookbook* featuring 75 Chilean recipes for all seasons. It is lovingly written and scrumptiously photographed, and you’ll delight in the best Chilean cuisine offers, with easy-to-follow recipes tailored to American ingredients and grocery stores.

* Amazon affiliate links

Category: Chilean Cakes & Bakes, Chilean recipes, Sweet bread

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Sidebar

Hello, I’m Pilar

Hello! I'm Pilar Hernandez, a Latina mom, cookbook author, and urban farmer. I'm currently based in Seattle, WA. I was born and raised in Chile. I went to medical school there and then moved to …

Buy The Chilean Kitchen Here! (affiliated link)

Cover The Chilean Kitchen

Popular Recipes

Learn more about Chilean Food

Tortilla de Rescoldo Chilean Food

Chilean Bread

Torta Mil hojas

Chilean Cakes & Bakes

Manzana rallada Chilean Food

Chilean Desserts

Once chilena

Chilean Once

Asado Chilean Food

Chilean Meat

Chacarero Chilean sandwich

Chilean Sandwiches

Locos con Mayo Chilean food

Chilean Seafood

Chilean food

Chilean recipes

About Pilar

Instagram

Privacy

Facebook

Licensing

Copyright © 2023 · Pilar's Chilean Food & Garden · All Rights Reserved