Cortadillo Mexicano (Mexican Pink Cake)

Cortadillo Mexicano, also known as Mexican pink cake, is the colorful panadería treat many of us recognize right away. The cake is soft, moist, and full of vanilla, then covered with a bright pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles. Before sprinkle-covered “dot cakes” became a viral trend, Mexican bakeries were already cutting cortadillo into cheerful pieces to enjoy with coffee or milk. This homemade version uses cake flour, butter, oil, and buttermilk for a tender crumb that stays soft.

What is Cortadillo Mexicano? Cortadillo is a soft vanilla or yellow sheet cake topped with pink or white icing and colorful sprinkles, then cut into individual squares, rectangles, or triangles. It is technically a cake, but it is commonly sold with pan dulce in Mexican bakeries.

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Quick Recipe Snapshot

• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Prep Time: About 25 minutes
• Bake Time: 30 to 35 minutes
• Cooling and Setting: About 1 1/2 hours
• Total Time: About 2 1/2 hours
• Yield: 15 pieces
• Texture: Soft, moist, fine-crumbed, and lightly springy

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A Quick History of Cortadillo

The exact origin of cortadillo is not clearly documented, but it belongs to Mexico’s broader pan dulce tradition. As Mexican bakers adapted Spanish and later French baking methods, they developed a panadería culture with sweet breads, cookies, pastries, and cake-like treats of their own. Cortadillo became a familiar bakery favorite in Mexico and in Mexican communities across the United States.

Cortadillo vs. the Viral Dot Cake

Cortadillo predates the recent dot cake trend. The desserts look similar, but they are not exactly the same, and their visual resemblance does not prove that one directly inspired the other. Viral dot cakes are usually individual cake cups with thick frosting and a dense layer of nonpareils. Cortadillo is traditionally baked in a sheet pan, topped with a thinner glaze or light icing, and cut into bakery-size pieces.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Soft and moist: Butter adds flavor while oil helps the cake stay tender.
• Classic panadería look: The pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles make it instantly recognizable.
• Made for sharing: One 9-by-13-inch cake makes 15 bakery-style pieces.
• No decorating skills needed: Simply spread the glaze, add sprinkles, and let it set.

Ingredient Spotlight

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cortadillo Mexicano (Mexican Pink Cake)

A soft Mexican vanilla sheet cake made with cake flour, butter, oil, eggs, and buttermilk, then topped with bright pink vanilla glaze and rainbow sprinkles.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Cooling and Setting Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Latin American, Mexican Food

Equipment

• 9-by-13-inch baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• 2 Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

  

Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour not boxed cake mix
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Mexican vanilla

Pink Glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk added gradually
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pink food coloring as needed
• Rainbow sprinkles as needed

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
  
• Beat the softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  
• Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the Mexican vanilla.
  
• Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined, then remove the bowl from the mixer and gently finish mixing by hand. Do not overmix.
  
• Pour the batter into the prepared 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the cake, peel away the parchment paper, and let it cool completely.
  
• Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and pink food coloring until smooth. Use less milk for a thicker glaze.
  
• Pour the pink glaze over the completely cooled cake and spread it evenly across the top.
  
• Immediately add the rainbow sprinkles while the glaze is still wet.
  
• Let the glaze set before cutting the cortadillo into pieces and serving.
  

Notes

Use cake flour, not boxed cake mix.
Bring the butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature before mixing.
Begin the glaze with 3 tablespoons of milk and add more only as needed.
Store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the unglazed cake for up to 2 months for best quality.

Keyword cake, celebration, cortadillo mexicano, cortadillo recipe, Mexican bakery cake, Mexican pink cake, pan cortadillo, pastel cortadillo, pink cake with sprinkles, sweet, vanilla

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Pro Tips for the Best Cortadillo

• Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter, eggs, and buttermilk blend into a smoother batter.
• Weigh the cake flour when possible. Too much flour can make the cake dry and heavy.
• Mix gently after adding flour. Stop as soon as the batter is combined so the crumb stays tender.
• Cool the cake completely. A warm cake will melt and thin the glaze.
• Add sprinkles right away. They need to go on while the glaze is still wet.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using boxed cake mix instead of cake flour. They are not the same ingredient.
• Adding all the milk to the glaze at once. Begin with 3 tablespoons so the glaze does not become too thin.
• Overmixing the batter. This can make the finished cake tougher.
• Glazing a warm cake. The glaze can turn transparent and slide off.
• Letting the finished batter sit. Bake it promptly so the leaveners can give the cake its best rise.

Storage and Make Ahead

• Room temperature: Store airtight in a cool kitchen for up to 3 days.
• Refrigerator: Refrigerate for up to 5 days, although the crumb may become firmer.
• Freezer: Freeze the unglazed cake, either whole or cut into individual pieces, tightly wrapped for up to 2 months for best quality.
• Make ahead: Bake the cake one day ahead, wrap it after cooling, and glaze it the next day.

Alternative Methods and Tips

• White glaze: Leave out the pink food coloring for a white glaze.
• Thicker glaze: Begin with 3 tablespoons of milk and add the remaining milk only as needed.
• Different cuts: Cut the cake into 15 pieces using squares, rectangles, or triangles.

How to Serve Cortadillo

• Serve it at room temperature with café de olla or regular coffee.
• Pair it with Mexican hot chocolate or cold milk.
• Cut it into 15 bakery-style pieces for parties, birthdays, or merienda.

FAQs

• Is cortadillo bread or cake? It is cake in formula and texture, but it is commonly sold as part of the broader pan dulce selection.
• Why is it called cortadillo? The common explanation is that the large cake is cut into individual pieces for serving or sale.
• Is cortadillo the same as Mexican pink cake? Mexican pink cake is the clearest English name for this style of cortadillo.
• Is cortadillo the same as dot cake? No. They look similar, but dot cakes are usually individual cake cups with thick frosting and dense sprinkles, while cortadillo is a glazed sheet cake cut into pieces.
• Can I replace cake flour with all-purpose flour? It may make the cake firmer and coarser, so a one-to-one replacement is not recommended unless the recipe is tested that way.
• Can I leave out the pink food coloring? Yes. The glaze will stay vanilla-flavored and will simply be white.
• What kind of vanilla does this recipe use? The cake uses Mexican vanilla, while the pink glaze uses vanilla extract.