Bizcocho is a term with various meanings in Spanish-speaking countries. It refers to a variety of sweets, cookies, and cakes, with different fillings and flavors. The term is commonly used in Latin American panaderias, with popular varieties including alfajores, polvorones, and ojitos. In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, bizcocho means cake, with different types of sweet sponge cakes and fruit-filled cakes.
Bizcocho is a Spanish word that has different meanings in different Spanish-speaking countries. It refers to a type of food in most countries, but bizcocho can have a vulgar meaning in some regions of Mexico. The word refers to a variety of sweets in most countries. It can also refer to some types of cookies, and the word means cake in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
The sweets that are collectively known as bizcocho come in a wide variety of styles and flavors and can be found in most Latin American panaderias or bakeries, especially in Uruguay and Argentina. Some are flaky breads similar to croissants. Others are filled pastries – the fillings can be sweet or savoury. Savory desserts often have cheese or meat as a filling. Dulce de leche, a thick sweet caramel sauce, and dulce de mentillo, or quince jam, are popular fillings for desserts.
South and Central American countries generally have their own special sweets which are known by the term bizcocho. A popular variety in Uruguay and Argentina is known as alfajores de maizcena, small cookie-like cakes made with cornstarch. Two of the cakes are filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut flakes to form alfajores.
The usual Costa Rican bizcocho is a savory version. It is made with cornmeal, also called masa, with cheese and spices. The dough is formed into rings and is traditionally cooked in clay ovens. These bizcocho pastes have a crunchy texture after cooking.
Some types of cookies are also known as bizcochos. Polvorones are a shortbread cookie eaten in both Latin America and Spain. They are made like typical shortbread cookies with butter, flour, sugar and eggs and are usually vanilla flavored.
Ojitos, which literally means “little eyes,” are popular bizcochos in Uruguay. They are also shortcrust biscuits, but have a sweet filling, usually made from quinces. Ojitos are also sometimes made with a chocolate flavor.
Although pastel means cake in most Spanish-speaking countries, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic most commonly use bizcocho. The word often refers to the type of cake popular or traditional in each country. In Puerto Rico, bizcocho is a sweet sponge cake with a rich sauce containing condensed milk and evaporated milk, and cream is poured over it – a type of tres leches, or three milk, cake. The word often refers to a tender cake filled with fruit and a meringue-based glaze in Uruguay.
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