Puerto Rican Spice Cake (Hojaldre Añasqueño)
A Puerto Rican spice cake that originated from the town of Añasco. This recipe makes a moist cake filled with aromatic spices that is not too sweet, perfect for accompanying your morning or afternoon cup of coffee or tea.
Servings: 8 to 12 slices
Calories: 429kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound butter at room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves (I did not have ground cloves, so I used ½ teaspoon allspice and ½ teaspoon cardamon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt table salt
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup sweet wine I used Moscato wine
- 1 tablespoon Confectioners’ powdered sugar sifted (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Have all ingredients at room temperature. If using a bundt pan, spray it with food release or room-temperature butter (not included in the recipe), then dust with flour. For round and square pans, line the pan with parchment paper. It's ok to sift the flour before you begin the process.
- In a large bowl, cream the room-temperature butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.½ pound butter, 2 cups brown sugar
- Incorporate one egg at a time, beating well after each addition.6 eggs
- This step can be done before you start with the butter and set it aside until needed. In a medium bowl, mix and sift together three times the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. This aerates the flour and incorporates the spices more homogeneously into the mix.3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Alternatively, incorporate the flour, milk, and wine into the egg-and-butter mixture. Start with flour, then wine. Again with flour, then the milk. You can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or a whisk/spatula as I did. Ending with flour. Mix until well incorporated.1 cup milk, ⅓ cup sweet wine
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack for 5-10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and let it cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar, frosting, ganache, or glaze.1 tablespoon Confectioners’ powdered sugar
Notes
- Cream the butter and sugar until just light and fluffy; don't overdo it: Over-creaming breaks the butter emulsion, resulting in a greasy crumb. Stop when the mixture is pale and holds its shape.
- Add eggs one at a time: With six eggs going into the batter, adding them all at once risks breaking the emulsion. One at a time, beating well after each, keeps the batter smooth and stable. If two slip in at once, just beat well before continuing.
- Alternate your dry and wet additions: Flour mixture and the milk/wine mixture go in alternately, starting and ending with flour. This prevents the batter from becoming too wet or too stiff at any point, ensuring even mixing.
- Do not overbake: This cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean, and the edges have pulled away from the pan. The crumb should be moist. Set your timer to half the baking time, then check and rotate the cake. Each oven is different, so adjust baking time to your oven preferences.
- Pan options: A metal bundt pan is the recommended vessel for this recipe and will give you the best browning and pattern definition. A springform pan, loaf pan, or round cake pan all work. If using silicone, add 10-15 minutes to the bake time and test the center with a toothpick; silicone insulates rather than conducts heat, and the center will lag behind the edges even in a bundt pan.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to three days. The flavor actually deepens on day two as the spices settle. Or refrigerate for up to a week. Remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature before service. For longer storage, wrap individual slices and freeze for up to one month.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 61.2g | Protein: 6.6g | Fat: 18.2g | Saturated Fat: 10.5g | Cholesterol: 133.6mg | Sodium: 98.5mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 35.8g
