How to make Dominican cake?
Dominican Cake is the go-to cake for any celebration in the Dominican Republic. Whether it be a wedding, birthday, baby blessing, or anniversary an iced Dominican Cake is the best part of the meal!
Much like a Yema Cake from the Philippines or a Chantilly Cake, the cake batter of a Dominican Cake is buttery and fluffy. The difference is not only in the tropical filling, I have used pineapple here with a hint of lemon, but also in the whipped royal or meringue icing that covers the cake. Royal icing is simple to color with and easy to pipe if you so choose to get fancy and festive with your decorating skills. Although some choose to dust the cake with powdered sugar instead of icing, you will find that a real Dominican will be sad to find the sugary icing missing from their cake.
Orange, guava, and even lime can all be substituted in the juice department, but the filling will need to have some actual fruit texture to it for the best outcome of the filling. If you end up using the pineapple, perhaps save some rings for decorating the top of the cake before serving for some extra flair.
Ingredients
- 1 pound all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 pound butter
- 11 large whole eggs
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice (can use orange in a pinch)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 14 ounces crushed pineapple (fresh or canned)
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
For the Filling:
- In a sauce pot off the stove stir together the pineapple, water, brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
- Place the pot onto the stove on medium-low heat and stir until very thick and jam-like.
- This filling can be done up to 4 days ahead and kept chilled.
For the Cake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
- Sift the flour and baking powder to aerate and remove lumps.
- In a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar starting on a low setting and moving it up to a faster setting until they are a very pale yellow in color and quite fluffy, about 8 minutes.
- Crack 5 eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. (saving both)
- To the mixing bowl of sweet butter add 1 yolk or 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing on low.
- Next, add the whole eggs one at a time.
- Add the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to mix the eggs into the butter for another 8 minutes.
- Remove the mixing bowl and attachments, and with a large spatula fold the sifted flour and pineapple juice into the egg and butter batter alternating a bit with each.
- Spread cake batter into 2 greased 9-inch pans and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Test the cake with a wooden dowel or toothpick coming out clean when inserted.
- Let the cake cool for 1 hour before layering.
- Place the cooled filling between the two cake rounds, pressing lightly together and chill until ready to cover in icing.
For Royal Icing:
- Whisk on medium then increasing to high the egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar until very fluffy and pure white in color.
- You may spread the mixture over the cake covering all sides, place in piping bags to decorate, and even add food colorings to bowls of the icing before placing in bags to decorate the cake with.