This fragrant and rustic cake is inspired by a recipe from the famous Venezuelan cookbook, “Mi Cocina a La Manera de Caracas” by Armando Scannone. Also known as the “Red Book,” the cookbook is beloved in my family; we’ve used it as a reference for most of our recipes over the years. Made with ripe plantains, spices and toasted sesame seeds, this dense cake is one of my favorites. The savory and sweet notes from the white cheese and papelón really make it special. I recommend baking the plantains and making the syrup the day before, so you can start baking the cake right away.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded papelón or piloncillo (from one 16-ounce block)
- 9 whole cloves
- 2 ripe plantains
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 5 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 1/3 cups plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup crumbled or shredded white salted cheese, such as queso blanco
- 1/4 cup sweet red wine, such as Moscatel
Instructions
- For the papelón syrup: Put the papelón, cloves and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 22 minutes. Strain the syrup; you should have about 2 cups. Set aside at room temperature until completely cooled (do not refrigerate).
- For the cake batter: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Put the plantains in their skins on a baking sheet or directly on an oven rack and bake until very soft, about 30 minutes. Peel the plantains while still hot with the help of a clean kitchen towel. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the melted butter. Line the pan with parchment to cover the bottom and sides, then brush again with another 1 1/2 teaspoons butter. Add 3 tablespoons of the sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of the breadcrumbs to the pan and gently tilt, tap and shake the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the seeds and crumbs. Set aside.
- Add the baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, eggs, reserved plantains, 1 cup of the papelón syrup and the remaining breadcrumbs, melted butter and sesame seeds to a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until the plantains break down completely and the batter is very well combined and almost completely smooth, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the cheese and wine and beat until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.
- Remove the cake from the pan and drizzle with the remaining 1 cup papelón syrup before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 523 |
| Total Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 90 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 66 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 95 mg |
| Sodium | 322 mg |