Coca de llanda is the Valencian tray-baked sweet sponge: a lemon-zest and cinnamon sponge cake, baked in a flat metal tray (llanda), eaten with afternoon coffee.

Coca de llanda (tray cake) is the Valencian housewife's daily sponge, baked in a flat metal tray (llanda) and eaten with afternoon coffee or hot chocolate. The recipe varies by family; the canonical version uses lemon zest, cinnamon, olive oil and sugar. The cake is sliced into squares and stored in a tin for a week. Horno de San Bartolome has baked the canonical version in central Valencia since the 1920s.

Where to eat Coca de llanda in Valencia

2 editor picks for Coca de llanda in Valencia, ranked by editorial score. All Valencia signature dishes · Coca de llanda across every city.

  • Levaduramadre

    Order Pan de pueblo sourdough loaf

    Levaduramadre on Carrer de la Pau in Valencia's Ciutat Vella is the flagship Valencia branch of the Madrid sourdough chain, serving wood-fired loaves.

    DetailsDirections

  • Horno de San Bartolome

    Order Coca de llanda

    Horno San Bartolome on Carrer del Duc de Calabria in Valencia is master baker Jesus Machi's flagship oven, with the canonical coca de llanda (a tray-baked.

    DetailsDirections

Book food experiences in Valencia

See all 1300 food experiences in Valencia

Make it at home

Serves 3055 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 200ml mild olive oil
  • 200ml whole milk
  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 sachet (16g) baking powder
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Demerara sugar and cinnamon, to top

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line a 30x20 cm metal baking tray.
  2. Whisk the eggs and caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
  3. Whisk in the olive oil and milk.
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and cinnamon into the mixture; fold gently to combine.
  5. Pour into the prepared tray; smooth the top with a spatula.
  6. Sprinkle the top generously with Demerara sugar and a dusting of cinnamon.
  7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
  8. Cool in the tray, then slice into squares.

Editor tip. The cinnamon-sugar top forms a crackly crust; do not skip it. The cake keeps for a week in an airtight tin and gets better on day two.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg.