Preparation Time
60
Note
Cuban panetela is a dessert that takes us all back to our childhood, to those first culinary adventures in the kitchen with grandma, the eagerness to eat the warm crumbs, and the occasional disappointment when it was left on the stove for too long. We present to you a recipe that is quite common in Cuba. It is typically made in a pressure cooker, placing a paper at the bottom to prevent the batter from sticking and burning too much. The secret to this batter lies not in the ingredients, which are very few, but in the way they are combined.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of wheat flour
- 1 taza de white sugar
- 1/4 cup of warm milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder or baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
It is essential that the eggs are at room temperature. Separate the whites and the yolks. We suggest doing this one at a time to prevent a bad egg from contaminating the others.
Mix the egg yolks with half of the sugar, preferably using electric beaters. Whip for 1 minute, then add the milk and continue mixing on high speed for at least 3 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients, the flour, salt, and baking powder. Sift everything over the beaten egg yolks to ensure the batter is free of lumps.
You can mix on low speed for 2 minutes with electric beaters until you achieve a homogeneous dough, or incorporate the flour using folding movements. Once everything is well combined, set it aside.
Beat the egg whites at high speed until they are whipped. Add the remaining sugar and the vanilla. Continue beating until well combined.
Combine both preparations with a spatula, making gentle folding movements until everything is well mixed. At this stage, do not use electric whisks.
Grease the mold and dust it with a little flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Bake for 35-40 minutes with heat from above and below. Avoid opening the oven to prevent interrupting the cooking, as it may affect the rise of the dough. The baking time will depend on the size of the mold used, the amount of dough, and the characteristics of each oven.
If you decide to make the cake in a pressure cooker, remember to place a preferably greased paper at the bottom. Cover the pot, but do not apply pressure. Cook the cake on low heat for about 40 minutes.
To check if the cake is ready, use the classic toothpick test. Insert it into the center, and if it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then take it out and finish cooling preferably on a wire rack to prevent moisture retention.
If you cooked your panetela in the pressure cooker, open the pot and let the batter cool. Do not take the panetela out of the pot when it is freshly made, as it runs the risk of breaking.
We hope you enjoy this recipe. Bon appetite!
Servings
8