Volumes can be written about bizcocho dominican (Dominican cake), and have in fact already been written (check our forums). This cake seems to be the ultimate test for the expert Dominican cook, and however daunting, and confusing the instructions might look to the novice cook, let me assure you, if you follow the instructions carefully you will succeed.
No other recipe in our site is as popular, or elicits as many questions as our Dominican cake. For those who have not tried it, it is hard to understand the fascination with this cake. What makes Dominican cake so special? Well, you won’t know until you try it, but let me give you a spoiler: it is incredibly delicate in texture and sinfully delicious.
When I started this site it quickly became obvious that I needed to add this recipe, which was not included in the original collection (I got, and still get, dozens of questions about it every week). Having never baked this cake before (it is rarely home-made in the Dominican Republic, we usually order it from a ‘master baker’), I embarked on the quest for a recipe. That was not easy, each baker has their own (minor ‘tweaks’ really) and most guard it fiercely.
When I was able to find a recipe I tried it a first time: it was an unmitigated disaster. The second time however, and after carefully following the instructions, it was a success. As of the moment I am writing this I have baked exactly five cakes (the first disaster included), so I am no an expert by any stretch of the imagination, which in a way allows me to see things from our regular users’ perspective.
The most important features of the Dominican cake are that it is very ‘airy’ and moist. It contains a large amount of fat, about a third of it in fact, and a large volume of air, producing a cake that virtually dissolves in your mouth. Preparing the Dominican cake takes time. Lots of it. It is not something you can put together at the last minute. It takes planning and advance preparations. It also requires that you follow the instructions very carefully. One little misstep could ruin your many hours of work. Below you will find tips and tricks to help you achieve a successful result.
Aunt Clara
Dominican cake is the center of every Dominican celebration. No wedding, baptism or birthday is complete in the Dominican Republic without our delicious traditional cake.
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb (110 grams) of butter
- 1/4 lb (110 grams) of margarine
- 1 pinch of grated lime peel
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 1/2 lb (220 grams) of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 lb (220 grams) of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 5 egg whites at room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar (for the caramel)
- 1 cup of powdered sugar, sifted (for the merengue)
- 1/2 cup of water
- A pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 2 cups of pineapple, cut into cubes
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together and simmer covered over very low heat until the pineapple is tender and you obtain the consistency of marmalade.
- Stir often to avoid scorching and add water as necessary.
- Once the filling is ready (it takes an hour or more due to the tough fibers in pineapple) cool to room temperature. Reserve.
- Grease and flour two 8" baking pans.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Mix the flour and baking powder and sift together. Set aside (all the ingredients must be at room temperature).
- Beat together the margarine, butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy and has a very light yellow color (about 4 mins).
- One by one add the eggs and continue beating about a minute after adding each new egg.
- Slowly add the lime peel, and vanilla.
- Add one third of the juice, when it is well mixed add one third of the flour. Repeat adding the flour and juice in thirds and keep whisking until all is well-mixed before adding the next third.
- As soon as you've stopped mixing the last batch of flour turn off the mixer, you should have obtained a fluffy batter with a smooth and even consistency.
- Pour half the pineapple filling on each baking pan. Make sure you do not disturb the cover of butter and flour.
- Pour in half the batter in each one.
- Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 30 mins).
- Whisk the egg whites in a glass or stainless steel bowl until it forms peaks. Slowly add the sugar until it form stiff peaks.
- Add the salt and cream tartar while still whisking.
- Prepare the caramel by boiling sugar and water over very low heat.
- If you have a candy thermometer (highly recommended) boil until the caramel has reached 235 °F (112 °F). If you don't have a candy thermometer boil until the caramel is thick but still transparent (it must not burn).
- Very slowly pour the caramel into the mixture while beating at high speed until all is well mixed.
- Cool down cakes to room temperature.
- Cut the crust.
- Join both cakes filling-side in. If you did not bake the pineapple filling with the cake, or are using another type of filling (like guava marmalade or pastry cream) then spread on one of the cakes and top with the other.
- To decorate the cake spread the meringue on top and around the cake, add decoration according to your taste and skills.
Notes
Read this post to learn how to make Dominican cake as cupcakes.
If you are preparing this cake for a special occasion I strongly suggest that you do not do it for the fist time then. Bake a 'rehearsal' cake, this will give you time to adjust quantities, ask questions and improve your skills.
Prepare the fruit filling with a lot of time in advance (preferably the day before). This will decrease the amount of work that you have to do on the big day.
Dominican cake must be consumed at room temperature, and best consumed the same day. Since it contains large amounts of fat it will harden in the fridge, detracting from what makes it different, that is, its lightness. You cannot prepare this cake without a mixer. You will need, at the very least, a hand-held one, and only if your cake is very small. We strongly suggest that you use a stand mixer. Once you start mixing the cake it has to be nonstop until the batter is finished. You will need your hands for other tasks, so if you are going to use a hand mixer please procure assistance. The recipe in our site can be prepared with a regular stand mixer; if you are preparing a bigger cake you will need a bigger, more powerful mixer. If your mixer is not able to move the volume of batter adequately your cake will fail to rise.
You will definitely need a scale. I strongly discourage from converting weight to volumes for this cake. The reasons for this are a bit long to explain, but do trust me on this. Borrow a kitchen scale for the day or buy a cheap one. Up until very recently I used one that cost me about US$2.00. It doesn't matter if it is not exact in the extreme, whatever bias in the scale, if it is not too big, will balance itself by adding (or subtracting) some weight from all ingredients.
The reason why I suggest baking the fruit filling with the cake is because, if you add the marmalade after baking the cake it will release moist that will seep into the cake, not the best result in my opinion. I have found this method to be the best, plus the cake infuses with some of the flavor from the fruit filling, improving it. The bake-in method is not recommended if you are going to use pastry cream.
The 'suspiro', or meringue used to decorate the Dominican cake is similar to Italian meringue and almost the same as royal icing. The reason why it is prepared differently for this recipe (adding boiling-hot caramel) is to somewhat 'cook' the egg whites, since there are no pasteurized eggs available in the Dominican Republic. Raw egg whites may contain salmonella, which can be fatally harmful to those who ingest it. If you can find pasteurized eggs, we suggest you use them; you can then skip the caramel part from the recipe. Better yet, use dehydrated royal icing mix, it is easier to prepare and much safer.
To prepare ‘suspiro’ you must keep your utensils scrupulously clean. Wash them with plenty of hot, soapy water and let them dry before starting. The suspiro will not rise if it comes in contact with even a speck of grease. Humidity in the air and room temperature will affect the results when preparing 'suspiro'. Preparing it on a humid, or cold day is not easy; on a rainy day it becomes very difficult, if not impossible.
Although you will probably not need it, have a bit (a cup or two) of extra powdered sugar at hand. Depending on a variety of circumstances the icing might need some extra sugar to achieve the necessary consistency. For spreading on the cake, aim for icing with a consistency slightly softer than that of cream cheese.
If you are not an expert at decorating with royal icing, you can either search online for tips and tricks, or buy one of the myriad of books available on the subject. Cake decoration is out of the scope of our site. Mastering cake decoration is a long process, but with a bit of help you can produce some very nice results.
Here is the Spanish version of this recipe.
Aunt Clara's Kitchen is a collection of traditional Dominican and Dominican-inspired recipes, home ideas, crafts, and the chronicles of Aunt Clara and Aunt Ilana's adventures.
![Blender [US]](http://dominican.lcb.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2013-04-23_2223-140x159.png)
{ 192 comments… read them below or add one }
hi i am intrested in baking a cake for my baby shower and would like to know how is it that you make the frosting for the cake i just wanted to know if you used the same frosting the bakery would use to make the dominican cake or do you just go to like a grocery store and used what they have after baking the cake your self
The instructions for the frosting are in the recipe itself (look for step no. 4)
The dominican cake is unique, I have tried many cakes from other countries and none of them taste like that one, and beside the frosting, the dough is soooooo good, that you could eat cake for several days and I assure you that you would like it a lot, at room temperature or cold from the refrig. Now, the frosting is make with water, sugar, egg whites and vanilla, that will stay soft for a while, even when you put it in the refrig, it might be a little bit hard on the outside but soft in the inside. The frosting from the grocery store is completely different because it taste like manteca, ughhhh! nasty….
The cake came out good but came out way too dense. What did I do wrong?
I can think of a few things:
Your baking powder could be too old (why, I have done that myself, a delicious giant cookie came out of the oven). The oven temperature was not the correct one, or you did not mix the ingredients the right way or in the right order. Please read the recipe very carefully and follow it to a T. I know it looks gigantic, but I am trying to cram years of knowledge into a few paragraphs. Dominicans rarely ever bake this at home, and even many bakeries do a lousy job at it, but if you follow the recipe correctly you'll be getting almost as good a result as you'd get from an experienced baker.
In your directions, you don't mention that you have to add the baking powder. It is in the list of ingredients but it would be also convenient to add it to the directions
how is the center suppose to look?
If you follow my method of baking the filling at the bottom of the cake, then you will join the two cakes filling-side in, just like in the pictures.
i love the flowers
RE; Filling , Other than the pineapple, is there another filling receipe I could use that would stay true to the Dominican Cake flavors. Thank you for your help.
I am writing a post on how to make pastry cream as a filling. It'll probably be up next week. Keep an eye out for it.
hi, do you know how to make the leche filling. I think its made with 3 different milks. thanks
Ingrid
I think you are looking for this cake: Tres leches
i need to ask a favor…. is there any way the you can advise how to make this in a bigger quantity. i love domincan cake… lets be honest i can eat this cake all by myself….. you know incase i want to share lol
I suggest you double (or triple) the recipe, it's easier that way. Bear in mind that you'll need a kickass stand mixer to mix all that batter. Or you double it by preparing 4 thinner cakes (our recipes yields two halves of a cake) and stacking them.
Joker8759, where in the recipe do u see 2 1/2 lbs of powered sugar when I see 1 cup?
Thanks aunt C for this recipe. I am going to try Dominican cake this weekend. Can you help me with a good recipe for guava filling.
I am finding it impossible to get guavas here. Once I do I'll post the filling.
Please help! I have tried twice and I cannot get the filling to turn into a marmalade. I am cooking it at a very low temperature and it is not thickening despite my patience. It has been 2 hours!
If it takes that long it's because your stove is probably not heating as much as a regular oven stove. Crank up the heat, but keep a close eye, lower the heat again as soon as most of the liquid has evaporated. It is not supposed to be all mushy like marmalade, pineapple has some strong fibers, they will finish cooking in the baking, and they also add a nice contrasting texture to the softness of the cake.
Do you Have The Recipe For Crema Thats Put As A Filling In Cakes ! And You Answer Quickly Pleasee !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank !
I have had the recipe written and photos made for a while. Perhaps I'll post it this week.
OK! thankk youuuuuuuuu
my dear iam looking for the real recipie of jalao and i know that in dominican republic they dont use honey because they are real dark
I have been trying to make Dominican cake for a few years now, and I still can't get the real Dominican flavor. I have tried many recipes, but I don't get it. Is there another little secret that bakers are not sharing? I will make this recipe this weekend, and I am crossing my fingers.
What happened to the tricks & tips for dominican cake page? Last summer I was able to go to this link http://www.dominicancooking.com/cooking-tips-tric…. I tried the link today and it does not take me to the page instead it brings me here to the actual recipe.
Well, that's because they are both now here.
How long can this cake stay outside of the fridge before it goes bad?
It depends on a number of things, like temperature "outside". I would not leave it for more than 5 hours in a cool room, no more than an hour in a warm room.
Hello I would love to make my daughters next birthday cake, how I DO NOT have a mixer either the money to get one, is it possible to do the mixing in a Blender? Please let me know Asap, thanks!
you can use a hand mixer. they're way cheaper than a stand mixer. i got one from walmart for real cheap and it worked fine. just make sure you have a mixing bowl.
Hi my cousin mixes her cakes in a big bowl with her hand, is a little more messy but if you have the ingredients all ready is not so bad. She doesn’t have a stand up mixer either, but besides that she says the warm of the hand helps the batter get really silky And her cakes are very good too. That is the old fashion way When they didn’t have mixers! Try it!
Sonia recently posted..Festive potato casserole
No, it's not possible. You need a mixer.
Hi, can i use fondant on the cake or will it be to heavy?
Hi! Is there any way that I can make this recipe into cupcakes?
I am sure there is, but I haven't tried it yet, but coincidentally I have been obsessed about this for a while. Maybe I'll do it soon and post about it.
Maybe I'll try it this weekend and let you all know how it turned out!
What kind of orange juice do you recommend.. natrually squeezed or store bought?
I will always recommend fresh juice, but if it is not possible go with the next best (the more natural the better).
how can you make this recipe with strawberry filling?
You either need to make or buy the jam, and add it after you have baked the cake. The bake-in method only works with the homemade pineapple jam.
Gracies por todo شكرااا على كل الوصفات
Hola Tia Clara, Is it possible to make this cake with milk instead of juice?
Absolutely, both orange juice and milk are acidic, which is exactly what you need in this case.
Aunt C.
Hello, I want to try to make this cake. I love Dominican cake, but I have one question. What is cream tartar? I appreciate it .
It's cream of tartar. It's a white powder sold in small jars. Find it in the baking isle.
You can find cream tartat in the supermarket by the spice..
how can I make it with guava filling and custuard.
is it possible omit the margarine and use all butter?
@Kisha: Absolutely. The margarine makes for a fluffier cake, but it is just a matter of taste. I usually go for the only-butter version.
What is the best way to do the guava and custurd filling please advised.
Is the 2 1/2 lb of powdered sugar right or is it missprinted
No it isn't. You will have to add sugar to the meringue until you get the right consistency, this will vary depending on a number of things. Better to have too much sugar at hand than too little.
Hey sweetie! Where in the recipe do u see 2 1/2 lbs of powered sugar? When I only see 1 cup?
Thank you for this recipe. Can you advise as to how big of a mixer I will need? I need to buy one and the mixers range from 4-6 quarts at the local shop.
My mixer has 4.5 Quart size Stainless Steel mixing bowl, it is also very reasonably-priced, quiet and attractive.
Great! Thank you. I can't wait to try this at home! My boyfriend is Dominican and loves this cake but it's hard to get around here unless you order a big batch! I'm going to practice so that I can make it next month for our anniversary! Thank you bunches!
aunt clara i will like to know if i can use any tipe of rum or whisky
to avoid any flavor of eggs in the cake or is posible to use pineapple
juice
I made this cake yesterday for my friends B-Day and was very disapointed. I'm half Dom and know how to cook but when it comes to deserts u need to follow the recipe so u won't mess up, and that's what I did. First it came out waaaay to moist and I found it odd that you had to use 2 1/2 lb of sugar for the merengue, it came out so sweet! I had to dispose of it. I'm just glad that my local super sells the merengue at there bakery and I finished it. Even thoug my friend liked it I knew it was not great. The pineapple jam came out perfect though, got to give u that but I would use crushed pineapple instead. I will continue to look for a recipe that I can call a keeper. BTW… Sorry for being so harsh.
I am sorry you had trouble with the cake. I just cannot guarantee that each and every person will have great results, sometimes you might skip a step or ingredient and there is no way I can account for that. Good luck.
I've tried to make this cake twice and the cake has not raised enough. The 1st time I baked the batter on 2 separate baking pans and the cake was about 2 inches tall, the 2nd time I baked it on a taller pan and the cake barely was 3 inches tall. I sifted the flour with the baking powder the 2nd time but didn't on the 1st and thought that was why the cakes were so small but the 2nd cake came out about the same size. what can I possibly be doing wrong?
Maybe your mixer is not sufficiently powerful?
Thank you for this recipe. I have a similar one; however the preparation is slightly different, but it comes out great. Another thing is that I prepared the whole thing by hand. No mixer at all (wooden spoon and bowl). For the meringue I used a fork to whisk it.
I have a 10 speed kitchenAid Artisan but I didn't use full speed for the cake batter because it doesn't specify, should have I? I did use the highest speed for the meringue because it called for it. I will try again at full speed n will let you know :0)
I made this cake many times before and decided to try your recipe. I love the cake and the orange taste! I have made it both with and without the pineapple filling. I prefer the plain version and I only use butter as I do not want the transfats of the margarine.
My big concern was El suspiro! I am Dominican and grew up eating this magnificent cake. I know good Suspiro from Doña Nitin herself!! Now, your recipe came out astonishingly sweet! ( and I have a sweet tooth!) In fact, I will need to omit the powered sugar altogether next time. The trouble is that when I make it without the powder sugar, the meringue deflates. What Am I doing wrong? Honestly, I have had the Suspiro made by a friend without the powder sugar and it stays silky. Please help. Gracias!
Hey Aunt C. what other fillings could be used other than pineapple?
HI AUNT CLARA, I MADE THIS RECIPE BUT CHANGED IT UP A SLIGHT BIT I USED DOLE PINEAPPLE JUICE IT CAME OUT DELICIOUS….I WONDER IF THE MERENGUE ICING WILL HOLD IN TEMPERATURES OF LIKE 85 TO 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE? I'M USED TO WORKING WITH CRUSTING BUTTER CREAM BUT I'VE HAD LOTS OF REQUESTS FOR THIS SUSPIRO OR MERENGUE ICING. WHAT CAN YOU SUGGEST? DO YOU THINK THAT THIS DOMINICAN CAKE WILL GO WELL WITH THE CRUSTING BUTTER CREAM? PLEASE HELP ME LOL I HAVE MY DAUGHTER'S 10TH B~DAY PARTY OUTDOORS THIS SUNDAY BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PREPARE THE ICING TO TRY IT OUT FIRST (the consistency i need ect, ect) SO THAT ON THE ACTUAL DAY I BE SUPER READY.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR RESPONCE =)
Hi…do you think a layer of fondant would work over the meringue icing? I make my own fondant and it's delicious but not too sweet, but it IS fondant so it's got some weight to it. Do you think it would smash the cake? Thank you for your input, and I'm excited to try the recipe. You explain every step with great detail :0)
@Sweet J: Yes, it probably will. Not for nothing it is so popular in our country (it's pretty hot in here). Usually the top layer of the icing will harden and form a protective crust for the lower layers.
©koam: I don't think the fondant will work well with the meringue. You could use meringue as a crumb coat though, but it will be far from the traditional Dominican cake.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'M GOING TO DO THE DOMINICAN CAKE AND THE SUSPIRO YOUR WAY. I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR RECIPE FOR THE SUSPIRO AND NOTICED A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS FROM THE RECIPE I HAVE. BUT LIKE YOU SAY IT'S POPULAR IN YOUR COUNTRY AND HOT TOO. SO YEAH IF IT WORKS THERE IT MUST WORK HERE! LOL I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT AND SEE HOW CAN I PUT A PICTURE OF THE CAKE SOME WHERE SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT DAY =)
I am Hungarian and my wife is Dominican, I made the cake for her birthday and she loved it, Thank you so much for the easy directions.
Just one question I want to throw out there, is there a better way to keep the pineapple from sticking to the bottom of the cake pan? I used the method of greasing and flour, then the second time I tried wax paper "really bad idea" maybe parchment paper? if anyone has success please post.
Servus Eric:
I'm half Hungarian and Dominican. I'm making this cake for my parent's 51st anniversary. Just thought I'd say hi. Making stuffed peppers for my dad with and sometimes make him poppy seed cake. Very cool to find another Hungodominican!
Hi aunt Clara. Can i use pineapple juice instead orange juice????. How many cups is in 1/2 lb of flour??? thank you.
@Hazel: Yes, you can use pineapple juice. Sorry I don't recommend that you try substitutions, please get an inexpensive scale, you will get your money's worth.
@Eric: Cover the pan well with butter and flour completely.
hazel 1/2lb is about 2cups of flour
So I made the "rehearsal" cake. I think it totally turned out so I don't want to cut into it! I used "Pam" instead of butter and flour and it worked perfectly. No pineapple stuck to the pan at all. Thank you for the detailed directions, and for all of the comments. I read everything several times. Tomorrow is a party to send my daughter to the Dominican Republic to study in Santiago for a semester. I wanted to have some traditional desserts so I have made the Coconut/Honey Candy, and this delicious cake. Thanks again.
I have made this cake twice. The flavor, according to the person I made it for, is spot on. My problem is that both times the cake has cracked and fell apart. I live in Denver could it be an altitude problem? Please help I would love to give my friend an entire cake in one piece! Thank you in advance for your help!
It seems to me, and I am mostly guessing here, that you are overcooking it. I am not sure how the altitude would affect it. For what it's worth, I am at sea-level. Good luck.
Hi I was searching and I found this website,and is really good I like it a lot. congratulation. I was looking for a good recipes for Dominican cake. I want to know if the recipe you have here is equal a one pound. A lot of person sales dominican cake by pound and for how many person we can serve with these recipe. Can you please send me answer to my email if is possible.
Thank you
Sonia
I would guesstimate that this is the equivalent to a one-pound cake.
Thank you Aunt Clara
Hello!!
Thank you for this recipe!! My friend just moved here to Iowa and is home sick and posted this on Facebook today:
I REALLY WANT DOMINICAN CAKE, U KNO DAT CARAMEL FLAVOR WIT MOIST CAKE EN MI BOCA…… NO DOMINICAN SPOTS OUT HERE:-(
Not sure if this is the same cake. If so is there a caramel filling for it? I would LOVE to make this for her as we trade food back and forth all the time!!
Thanks in advance and I really appreciate it!!
Also if I double or triple this should I also double or triple all times. Some recipes only have you do 1 1/2x the time when doubling.
I am not sure that there is one with caramel filling, you mean something like fudge (dulce de leche)?
I see that you have baking powder listed in the ingredients but it is not at all in the directions. It seems everything needs to be done to the T, so I am nervous about guessing! When should the baking powder be added??!
Thank you!!
add the baking powder to the flour
Hi! Thank you so much for your recipe. It is great! Only thing is, the Dominican cakes I’ve had have a more coarse, almost cornbread type texture, and that was missing in my cake. Does that mean I overbeat it at the end? My husband says it tastes right (he’s Dominican), and that maybe it’s because I’ve had those other cakes a day or two later, or after they’ve been refrigerated. Is this true? I like that coarse texture and was looking for it! lol Do your cakes come out a little like cornbread-texture? Thanks again.
the cornbread-texture is due to using cornstarch in the ingredient. you can use cornstarch instead of the baking powder.
Hello aunt Clara! I just wanted to say "wow"!! I am 2nd generation dominican and proud!! I have tried to explain to may different people how extremely good dominican cake is; but where i live there is no such thing and no such place where to get some. Very frustrating as you can imagine! Now with this recipie I will finally get to show my friends what they have been missing out on all of their lives. I'm so excited to get started but i have a couple of quick question first: will it come out the same if I use a manual mixer and if I wanted to add a porceline figurine to the top as a decoration, how can I incorporate some kind of a sturdy stand that cant be seen from the outside of the cake?
thank you sooooooo much!
how long does the cake stay in the oven ?
Please read the recipe carefully. Good luck.
I love this cake with a custard filling. Any recipes for that? My second favorite is with Guava.
Yes, there is a recipe, check the dessert section.
I am going to try and make this for 220 people. I am going to try to use boxed cake mixes( I know, not real cake) but use the orange juice and lime and crushed canned pineapple to make the filling. The event will be a fund raiser for a mission trip to DR so I have to keep the costs down (cannot really afford to be 100% authentic). I will let ya'll know how it turns out!
HI, this is for Doris, Brenda and Eliza, I also have tried many many Dominican cake recipes,but none of them even taste like the ones I first had in NYC from this woman who baked at home and yes her cakes had the wonderful moist cornbread course texture. Today I made my 5 th cake and this last one was the recipe from the well decorted cake by chef Toba Garrett, her recipe calls for cornstarch and still it did not at all taste like that wonderful cake from NYC baker, when my Son still lived in NYC I would order her cake and board the plane back to Hawaii and so enjoy it, however my Son no longer lives in New York. I hope and pray that somewhere, sometime I will find the "real authenic cornbread course texture type Dominican cake, if anyone out there knows the true recipe please, please, please share or even sell the recipe if it was the one I'm talking about I would buy it, Thanks everyone :from Sad in Hawaii without Dominican cake
I am not really sure what you tried, but for Dominicans in DR that would no ring true. The most famous (or one of the most) bakers in DR was Da. Nitín, her cake was nothing like cornbread, nor has any cake I have tried.
Hi Aunt Clara..My Name is Wanda , You`re absolutely right regarding this corn meal texture. All that I`ve tasted in New York never had cornmeal. I`m going to try your reciepe and will comment on it as soon as I can..I`m very crafty if that can be the correct word as far as decorating cakes and am sure following your basic steps, I can make a great cake for my grandaughters.. Talk to you soon Thanks!!
I made the cake for 220 using the boxed cake mixes. I had a couple of problems, but for the most part it was great. There is a difference in the brand of cake mix you use. Pillsbury did much better than Better Crocker. We wound up putting the carmelized pineapple on top of the cake instead of the bottom because the cakes were so big. We did NOT like the meringue and chose a different frosting (I did not try to make the meringue myself…the teenage girls made it, and it had no taste).
In conclusion, the flavor was a huge hit, but the presentation was lacking because the cake was so crumbly.
I wanted to see what kind of result you'd get going that route, but I was hesitant it would be anything closer to the cake in our recipe. I guess I can now tell other readers what to expect using pre-packaged cake (that is nothing near Dominican cake). I can only recommend what I have tried and tested myself.
Yes, boxed cakes never leave you with that wonderful homemade taste and texture. However, for our needs, feeding the masses, it was ok. The orange juice gave it a tropical tang as did the orange juice we added to the frosting. We sprinkled lime zest on top as well as added some to the cake mix. There was a marked difference in between the two brands of mixes, though…interesting. We raised some money for the mission trip, and the evening was a success. Thanks for this wonderful recipe! It gave me what I needed to make an affordable alternative to the real thing.
Well, then I am very glad the results were adequate for that purpose. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate it.
I will like to do the dominican cake but I'm kind of confused with recepe I went to get the creamed butter and in the supermarket nobody knew what was that can you please demotrated a picture of it or give the names of a few brands thank you.
I clarified that in the recipe. Thanks.
Hi Tia Clara.
I have made the Dominican cake both with your recipe and a friends recipe (who used to sell them from her house in Miami) Both are terrific. I made your recipe this week for My daughter's 7th birthday with a kids' twist. I divided the total batter into 7 equal parts, then mix in food coloring in each to make rainbow colors. Then I placed each layer in the same pan on top of each other gently not to disturb the bottom layer. I also used Royal icing this time and it worked out like a charm and tastes just like suspiro. Every time I make the suspiro the egg whites separate after I poor the hot sugar and water mixture. So, to be on the safe side and definitely easier, I used the Royal icing as you recommend. The kids and their parents drooled just to look at the cake and suspiraron when they tasted it!
Thanks again for posting this recipe and all your wonderful tips. Making this cake brings me back to childhood memories and living in Australia, this makes me feel closer to home. Thanks again!
When you click print on this recipe the cake and filling ingredients disappear, only the instructions are left for you to print. Can you please fix? Thanks!
It works for me and I tried with several browsers.
Do you Have to use a filling
You do not, but you will be really missing out if you don't.
im 13 and came acrose this while doing a skol project in spanish we have 2 make a food item from any spanish native contry even tho i might be the scremo type i love to bake and i made ths cake for my family for christmas i know not the best time but… they loved so im hopeing tht my class and teacher love it to thanks 2 you my family wants me 2 bake ths cake angin and again
thank you so much!!!wish me luck on my project!
You are 13?! Wow, I am *very* impressed.
Thanks for the kind words, and I am so glad to hear that you had a good result.
Can you give me the recipe for the guava filling?
Yes, I can: http://www.dominicancooking.com/3591-pasta-de-gua….
I am so glad to have found this recipe for my friend. I remember in NYC always getting Dominican cakes for special occasions. I will try to make it and also some other little delights which I see you have the recipes to. Thank You
Can the pineapple be from a can? and will it change the recipe for the filling?
Yes, it will change the taste and texture. But if you cannot find real pineapples, by all means, go ahead and use canned.
Clara, I want to try to make the Dominican Cake but I have a question for you how much is a half of pound in cup mesurements.
Half a pound of flour = just under two cups
Half a pound of sugar = one cup + two tablespoons
Please bear in mind that I do not recommend you make any conversions. Do so at your own risk.
Hi Clara, I made the cake but something went wrong, the cake didn't rise much the color was kind of brownish and it was to mushy, the flavor was good that I can say but it didn't even look like the one you show in the picture ( What went wrong Help!!)
It's hard to tell, that it got brown is a very strange thing and I can't think of anything that would cause it. Re-read the recipe and see what you did differently.
Do you have the dehydrated royal icing mix recipe as you mentioned and recommended for the dominican cake merengue.
I use this one: http://astore.amazon.com/dominicanccom-20/detail/…
Do you have to put the filling in the pan when you bake the cake? Or can you just make the cake and filling separate and layer the cake with the filling when cooled in the middle? Then ice?
Thanks.
I love this recipe
I am a bit confused because for your Merengue recipe you have 1 cup of sugar for the caramel and 1 cup of powdered sugar And also you have a caramel picture and the cake with cream and the pineapple filling do we use all three to fill the cake with in between . But yet there is no recipe for the caramel . Please explain.
Please read the recipe and the whole post carefully. You skipped step 17-19. Good luck.
mam, can i do this by preparing it in cake ovwn… how does it works..
I am not sure what your question is. Can you give me a little bit more details?
I'm sorry but you sent me some ones elses response. That person is asking if she can make your cake reciepe in a cake oven. And how does it work. Maybe se has some kind of cake business and she has a different oven. Any way my name is Irma and I made your cake and it came out delicious . The only thing that the merengue melted on me . I had it in the refrigerator. But I don't know what happened.
I would like to get the recipe for a 10" tier. I had to make this cake 3 ties to get it the way its suppose to (i did the measurements without weighting them) i know i risked it! Finally i bought a kitchen scale and it worked perfectly! I need to bake 2 – 10" tiers so i need the recipe, because i don't know how to add the ingridients. I tried making this is a 10" tier but it comes out pretty thin – its workable, But i would like to know if i have to add more of the ingridients since this recipe is for 2 8" tiers! Please let me know, i need to bake it by this Friday!!! Thanks!!
Hi I only have butter. Do I have to use margarine? I'm making it for my Spanish 1 class for a project and I'm only 11.
You can use more butter in place of margarine.
You mentioned that in order to get the crumbly texture you can substitute the bakinf powder for cornstarch but will the cake still rise?
I didn't.
Please follow the recipe as written, and good luck!
Hello I need to make a Dominican cake for a friend. I was just wondering
If I can double the recipe. I have to make a two
Tier cake. 8inch and 10inch for 40 ppl. I was just wondering
Of I make the frosting can I cover the cake with
Fondant after I frost it?
This produces one cake with two layers, each layer is 1.5" tall by 10" before frosting and filling. Once filled and frosted it yields 8 bit slices or 10 reasonably-sized slices.
Can the cake be covered with fondant?
It could, but it won't be Dominican cake.
I recently made a cake for my sons birthday and made 2 – 8" and 2 – 10" using the recipe. I doubled it and followed very carefully instructions, specially weighting them instead of converting, and i also covered it with fondant (colored) and everybody thought i had bought it from a Dominican lady i usually ordered it from, and that's just the decor (outside of it…) when we got to cutting the cake and they saw the triple filling i gave it with guava.. they were more impressed!!! But what top it all of was.. that they LOVED THE TASTE!!!!! I of course told them i did the inside cake from a Dominican recipe!!! and the thing is IT WAS my FIRST TIME making a fondant cake. I can't say it was my first time making a Dominican cake because i did convert it at the beginning and it was not a good idea. and the second time i made it i had done it buy cutting the ingredients in half.. it was a lot better than the first! But following the exact measurements and directions before the birthday really did it!!! Good Luck!!!
Hi Clara
my questions is the recipes is for one pound of domincan cake, because is a lot place here in ny they sale the cake by pound and i can you 1/2 cup or butter or 1/2 cup of margarine. Thank you
Yes, this is for a 1lb cake. Good luck!
hm…when you add up all the ingredients it gets to almost 1800g (4 lb)
It's not a measure of weight, it's how profesional bakers sell their Dominican cakes.
Than u so muchh. i really love your recepe. This is the first time that i see aperson share your knowledge about dominican cakes like you. god bless u and thank u agai.
wow this recipe sounds amazing!!! It sound's so good this is the food i'm going to do for my school project!! does this get any better? I get to serve it to my family! thank you Clara
I don't have a scale and I'm baking it first hand for my family and I'm only 9! What should I do? Aria
Borrow a scale for the day. And get help from your parents. This is too dangerous for a 9 year old alone.
Good luck, Aria.
Hi Clara,
I'm planning to make this cake and would like to know if I can leave the crust on the cake instead of cutting it off. Also, can that cake be refrigerated and then let it come to room temperature before eating?
Thank you so much!
Yes, you can leave the crust. As for refrigerating I explained why it isn't a good idea, but if you have to just do it.
Good luck!
I love this recipe but when you try to print it out, only the notes are visible. The actual recipe does not show up to print. I've tried several different ways and it doesn't work. I tried to even copy and paste and no good.
But great blog, I love it.
Jackie
tia Clara,
Many of these questions are apparently from first-timers or just silly questions, but some are very valid questions such as how not to let the pineapple stick to the bottom, and how to flip the cakes together without cracking or breaking them. My own personal question is whether to add extra yolks as I've seen in other recipes.
I don't see responses from you much, so I was wondering how often you read these and/or respond? or should we address questions directly to a specific email?
Hi Glennys,
Step 4 explains that you are to grease and flour the pans, if you do it properly nothing will stick. Step 20 explains that you are to let the cake cool, so it doesn't break when removing from the pan. And the answer to the extra yolks is: I don't. My cakes have the appropriate texture and flavor without adding any extras. Of course if you are following another recipe it might call for extra ingredients.
I hope this answers your questions. Good luck!
And by the way, yes, I read all the comments, and try to answer all the questions. Although a few might escape me.
I made this last night with pineapple juice instead of orange juice and it was delicious. The instructions were easy to follow but I did under estimate the amount of time it would take for the pineapple jam to cook so I did not bake it with the jam but the cake was still SUPER moist the following day. Someone made a comment that dominican cakes they've had has a cornbread texture and I know what they mean. Although texture was it's not corn bread like but taste is spot on. Thank you!
ok, i just tried to find cremor tartaro here in bavaro and i couldn't. if i'm not mistaken, you, aunt clara live here as well. do you have any idea where i can find it, or can i use vinegar instead? would it change the taste? i never used tartar and have no idea how it tastes.
i live here on and off for some years and now i see that i've never tried a real dominican cake. maybe that's why i never liked it. i'm more chocolate/nuts cake person. but your recipe sounds great. i specially like the idea of baking piña with the batter. i know what people think when they talk about the corn meal texture and i hate it. yours is already melting in my mouth before even making it
btw, i admire your patience with this web site…seriously…if you know what i mean
I bought cremor tártaro at Nacional a long time ago. It lasts for years unless you are baking very often. Check if they have it in the baking section (it's a very small jar), otherwise you can speak to the manager and have him order it for you, they have always been that helpful.
Thank you, I'll go there and check
hi, i was asked to this icing for a cake. i have searched for other suspiro's recipe and they are all very soft like italian meringue…your picture though looks like royal icing like you mentioned and it is exactly what i was asked to do, for the recipe you provided am i going to get the royal icing consistency or the soft one? and also once i pour the hot syrup, do i have to whisk it until it cools down just like italian meringue? would love your immediate response. thank you!
Hola, Hice este bizcocho anoche y todo estaba muy bien. Sin embargo, el suspiro, el cual tenia buena textura y consistencia cuando decore el bizcocho, hoy amanecio como aguado en todo alrededor. Que pude haver hacho mal? Gracias
Es casi seguro que no le pusiste suficiente azúcar. La próxima vez toma esto en cuenta.
Hi, first thank you for the recipe, I really love this site!! I tried making the cake today for the first time. I used my KitchenAid stand mixer and followed the directions carefully and measured everything to the gram with my kitchen scale. Also I made sure ingredients were room temperature. I used 2, 8inch pans for the batter. The cake did not seem to rise, so I read through the comments and thought maybe my baking powder was too old. I bought a new baking powder, and again followed the directions carefully. This time, the cake rised some more while it was in the oven (I looked through the glass, not opening door), but when it was cooling seemed to fall down (not just the center, but the whole cake). So the cake ended up pretty flat and dense(like oily). I’m not sure if it is because of my oven temperature (I am going to buy a thermometer to check it) or maybe I did not mix the ingredients at the right speed on the mixer??
Anyways, I used the 2nd cake I baked even though it was pretty flat. For the filling I used the recipe for pastry cream (which was delicious!!!!) and my suspiro turned out perfect. Just the darn cake didn’t work out for me, but hopefully next time will be better.
HI, CLARA I always tell people do the recipe the best way they can, if u like it GOOD if it is NOT what you are looking for then play with it, put or take out from the original recipe Trust me that’s the only way your going to get the result(s) your looking for Its all Trial- & Error It would also be helpful if you write down any changes
-DONT BE LAZY & KEEP TRYING OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!
I noticed you have powdered sugar in the suspiro but i didnt see when to add it…so when to i add it to the suspiro?
Yes, it is. Please read it carefully. And good luck!
I made this cake with the pineapple filling, the filling not to great but the cake was delicious. My mom asked me to make for her, i made it with guava filling she ate the entire cake in one day. I made with veggie shortening ( the one that for baking that taste like butter) since she can’t have any dairy. It actually tasted better with the shortening. The cake is a bit small, I’m making it for a party so will have to double up the recipe. This recipe was easy and fast, well except for the suspiro it takes a bit for the water & sugar to reach the right temp. I had a lot of frosting left over so I filled a zip log bag and piped it into a cookie sheet and made merengues!
Hola Clara. Any tips on where to buy an affordable kitchen scale. Also, how risky is it when converting pounds to cups? I love cooking and baking and looovvveeee your recipes. So far the things I have done using your website were successful but I’m scared to make this one. Any advice for me? Thank you!!!
hello aunt clara gracias por la esta receta tan bien elavorada. porque con otros libro hasta se me quito el gusto de cocinar muchas gracias .
Hello. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I followed your instructions exactly as you
Suggest we do..however can I ask you, why my cake doesn’t rise! it is delicious but
Is not fluffy as I have eaten. Please help me with this issue, as I baked other cakes and breads And the same thing happens, I thought with your guide it would come out perfect.
Thank you so much again.
Sorry. I am changing my name because I see there are other two ladys whith the same beautiful name..
I rely would appreciate your help with my problem NO RISE TOO FLAT AND DENSE
I always end up baking it longer and the cake becomes a large cookie but delicious!
Thank you
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Please make an effort to help us make the cake fluffy, I followed the steps just
Like you indicated, not missing nothing, and my cake tasted really really great but
It was too dense and didn’t rise, the baking powder is new.
What can it be?. Please help! Thank you
Oh my! I was born and raised in Dominican Republic, have been making cakes since childhood, had my Quinces, Wedding Shower, Wedding, Baby Shower, Baptism, etc celebrated in the D.R. , and all of these occasions were graced by cakes from the best Reposteras in Santo Domingo…so obviously, at this point I consider myself a connoiseur of the best Dominican cakes; I made this recipe today….Heaven! light and airy, subtly sweet with a hint of lime flavor, melt in your mouth goodness! Thank you for this perfect recipe! I had tried to do Dominican cake here in the U.S. with my usual recipe from the D.R. but it was not turning out well. P.S. I know some of you like a “cornbread” texture, however, true Dominican cake is very light and melt in your mouth, we actually rate how good a cake is by this, those crumbly cakes are the ones that you would buy for an emergency real cheap in a supermarket or something, so rest assured this is the real deal!
Una pregunta, puedo usar eggwhites de que venden liquido para hacer el suspiro???
Hi, got any extra advice for baking this recipe at high altitude approx. 8000 ft? thanks.
I was wondering if there was an easier way to make something similar to the Dominican Cake using cake mix from the box and if I could use guava filling? I am a college student trying to make something similar for a friends birthday and I am short on time. Please let me know. Thank you in advance for your advice.
Hi Clara!
I have your cookbook (love love LOVE!) and am going to make the dominican cake today. (My aunt makes a living selling these and she won’t give me her recipe and I’m going to show her that she’s not the only one who can make it! Yes, I’m Dominican.)
My question is, which recipe do I use??? The one in your book completely differs the one online.
Use the one in the site whenever you can, as I have tried to make use clearer, simpler language, plus there’s always the questions and answers. We are working on a new edition of our book to come out in two thousand mumble mumble.
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this recipe!! I can now make this cake at home instead of traveling to the city for it!! I haven’t had Dominican cake in years. Yum!
hize este bizcocho, y quedo muy grasoso, la harina parecia que estaba cruda, no crecio. Y cual es la mejor harina. Lo unico que me quedo bien fue el relleno de pina. Me gustaria hacer una que me quede como el de la foto relleno de pina se ve muy bueno y jugozo. Gracias
This is my third time making this cake & I must b doing soothing wrong with pineapple marlade thing. First & third time it was cooking on LOW heat for 5 hours & it never turn into marmalade consistency. What am I doing wrong? It’s just pineapple & water looking, nothing like marmalade. Please help.
I guess you are doing something wrong, because I would have thought it wasn’t possible to boil this for 5 hours without scorching it. I am not sure what exactly is the problem, other people seem to be doing fine with the same recipe.
Did you figure it out? I’m cooking it now and seem to have the same issue. 1 hour in and it doesnt look like it’s going to get anywhere near that consistency.
Is there anyway to convert the pounds into measurements of cups instead?
I am sure there is, but I don’t recommend it in this case.
Yes, its 4 cups per pound. So, thats 2 cups per 1/2 pound! According to google anyway!
Q: how many days in advance can you make this cake , and can you freeze it or refrigerate it? Also once you’ve filled it with the pastry cream filling how many days before decorating it can you leave it for in freezer or refrigerated????
I made this today, with a guava filling. It tastes pretty good! Not as perfect as some of my favorite bakeries but pretty darn good for my 1st time.. i just find the cake was crumbling very easily. But not horrible. And also the suspiro, takes pretty authentic, but I feel like theres a taste in it I dont recognize from bakery cakes i’ve tried. I’m wondering if its the cream of tar tar…? Is that ingredent neccessary? Can i make it without? But thank you sooo much for this! You’re recopes are great!! I’m a huge fan!
hello!.please.do you have the ingredients for the felling of the brazo gitano.the one that you use condensed milk?..thanks.
me gusta ese bizcocho si estuviera embarasada perdiera el muchacho por el antojo
I just tried this recipe for the first time this weekend and it came out AMAZING!!!! it was delicious! the only thing i had an issue with was the frosting. I put the caramel in and when I went to put it on the cake it had bits of caramel in it. I think when the hot caramel hit the cool mixture it solidified…other than that… I loved it!
Hello aunt Clara. In your recipe you don’t mention how to color the meregue to decorate the cake. Can you please share some decoration tips?
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Hello! I am going to make this cake today as a test for my sons first bday and I have a question. I would love to make this cake rectangular instead of round. What size pan should I use? Thank you and hope you reply soon. If not ill wing it lol.
Hi aunt Clara, I had one success baking the Dominican cake and a long list of the disasters. It has been a long time since I last tried. I want to try again because your recipe things pretty straight forward. Now I have one problem, I want to bake the cake for my daughter’s holy communion, I need to do a lot of cooking on the day, and would like to get the cake out of the way by baking it the day before. It is still going to be nice?
Thanks in advance