Sweet, fluffy little gorditas (thick masa cakes) made with wheat flour, cream (nata), sugar, and eggs — a cross between a sweet bread and a pancake. Lighter and sweeter than savory gorditas, gorditas de nata are a breakfast treat, eaten warm with butter, jam, or cajeta. A traditional panadería and street-stall specialty of central Mexico.
Las gorditas de nata are sweet wheat-flour cakes of central Mexico, named for their key ingredient — nata (the thick cream that rises to the top of unhomogenized milk). The dish combines Spanish wheat-bread traditions (the wheat flour, the dairy) with Mexican masa-inspired shapes (the thick gordita format). Gorditas de nata are sold at panaderías, street stalls, and markets across central Mexico (especially the Bajío region), eaten as a breakfast sweet with coffee or atole. They are lighter and sweeter than savory gorditas (which are masa-based and topped with beans and meat).
A gordita de nata presents a small, golden, slightly crisp cake, fluffy inside, with a sweet, creamy aroma. The first bite gives a tender, cakey texture — the cream gives richness; the sugar is gentle; a hint of vanilla. Eaten warm with butter, jam, or cajeta, often dunked in hot chocolate or coffee.
Gorditas de nata's fluffy texture depends on the cream and the leavening. The dough (wheat flour, nata/cream, sugar, eggs, baking powder) uses both chemical leavening (baking powder, which produces CO2 when heated) and the lift from beaten eggs (whose trapped air expands on heating). The cream (high in fat) tenderizes the crumb (fat coating the gluten strands) and gives a rich, dairy-sweet flavor. Cooking on a hot comal (rather than baking or frying) gives a slightly crisp exterior while keeping the interior soft. The small, thick format provides a satisfying bite.
Variations
Some add cinnamon or anise; the size varies; some are filled with cream after cooking.
On the Palate
Where Gorditas de Nata sits in the Mexican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 8How it's made
6 steps · 40 min active + 20 min waiting
- 15 min
Combine wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- 25 min
Cut in nata (or heavy cream) and beaten eggs to form a soft dough; knead briefly.
Watch outStop kneading as soon as it comes together — the cream's fat is what keeps it tender, and over-working develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
- 315 min
Rest the dough 15 minutes.
- 45 min
Pinch off small balls; flatten into thick discs (about 3 inches across and 1/2 inch thick).
- 58 min
Cook on a hot greased comal 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
Watch outKeep the comal at a steady medium — too hot chars the outside before the thick middle cooks through; look for even golden freckling.
- 61 min
Serve warm with butter, jam, or cajeta; optionally dust with powdered sugar.
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