The Perfect Puerto Rican Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

A Puerto Rican wedding cake is a delicious, traditional cake with a soft, moist, and spongy texture. The cake is typically made with a syrup that uses sugar and a touch of brandy, rum, or almond extract, giving it a unique tropical taste. The recipe varies across different bakeries, but the cake is commonly known for its fluffy and crumbly texture, with a variant of wedding cake frosting that is a little looser, and the bottom of the cake is always covered in sugar. The cake is perfect for weddings, birthdays, or baptisms.

Characteristics and Values of a Puerto Rican Wedding Cake

Ingredients for the cake

A traditional Puerto Rican wedding cake is a vanilla cake with a unique frosting and a fluffy, crumbly sponge. The cake is also known as "bizcocho de novia", which translates to "bride's cake". It is characterised by its tropical taste, soft texture, and moist consistency.

• 3 3/4 cups of cake flour (or 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder (or 1/2 teaspoon if using self-rising flour)
• 1 1/2 cups of granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (or 1 cup of evaporated milk)
• 3 large eggs (or 4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon if using real extract)
• 1 stick of salted butter (or 2 sticks of unsalted butter) or 1/2 cup of salted butter
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil (such as canola oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Lemon juice and zest (optional, or substitute with almond extract, vanilla, or brandy)

The exact quantities of the ingredients may vary slightly depending on the recipe and the size of the cake you are making. However, the key ingredients remain consistent, creating the distinctive flavour and texture of a Puerto Rican wedding cake.

Ingredients for the syrup

The syrup is what gives the Puerto Rican wedding cake its famous moist texture. The ingredients for the syrup are:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons of almond extract or brandy
• Pineapple syrup (for an authentic taste)

To make the syrup, bring the water and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and wait for the mixture to thicken. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to lukewarm, then add the almond extract or brandy.

Ingredients for the icing/decoration

The icing for a Puerto Rican wedding cake should be light and fluffy. It is often made with egg whites, sugar, and lemon zest. The egg whites are beaten until they form stiff peaks, and then the sugar and lemon zest are slowly incorporated. For a looser frosting, some recipes suggest adding heavy whipping cream. This creates a creamy texture.

Some recipes include a "soaking syrup" that is poured over the cake before the icing is applied. This syrup is made by boiling water and sugar together until it thickens, and then adding a flavouring such as almond extract, brandy, or rum. The syrup is then carefully poured over the cake, and the cake is allowed to rest for about 30 minutes before being iced.

For a simple decorative touch, the bottom of the cake is often coated in a thin layer of granulated sugar.

Method for the cake

Firstly, preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-10 inch baking pan and set it aside. In one bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. In another bowl, beat your room-temperature butter until creamy, then add sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow. Add egg yolks one at a time, then add lemon juice and lemon zest (or almond, vanilla extract, or brandy).

Now, slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl until it is totally incorporated—be careful not to overbeat. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and fluffy, then slowly incorporate them into the other mixture with a spatula without beating. Pour the cake mixture into your prepared mold and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for around 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. To make the syrup, boil water and sugar until it thickens, then remove from the heat and add almond extract and brandy or rum. Pour the warm syrup over the cold cake and leave to cool completely.

For the icing, boil water, sugar, and lemon zest over a medium-high heat until it thickens. Beat egg whites until light and fluffy, then slowly add the syrup while continuing to beat. Once the syrup is incorporated, add a few drops of food colouring if desired. Leave to cool completely, then decorate the cake as you wish.

Method for the syrup

The syrup is what gives the Puerto Rican wedding cake its distinctive moist texture. Here is a method for making the syrup:

First, prepare the ingredients. You will need 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1 cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of either almond extract or brandy. You can also add a touch of vanilla extract for extra flavour, if you like.

Next, combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid begins to thicken. This should take around 5 minutes. Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to lukewarm. This is important, as you do not want the syrup to be too hot when you pour it over the cake.

At this point, you can add your chosen flavouring—either the almond extract or brandy, or both if you prefer a stronger flavour. Stir the syrup to ensure the flavourings are well combined, and it is then ready to use.

Slowly pour the warm syrup over the cold cake, allowing it to soak into the sponge. Leave the cake to sit for around 30 minutes so that the syrup can fully absorb. Finally, your Puerto Rican wedding cake is ready to be decorated and served!

Frequently asked questions