The History Of Chabela Wedding Cakes

Chabela wedding cakes are traditional Mexican cakes, made famous by the 1989 novel 'Like Water for Chocolate' by Laura Esquivel, and its subsequent film and TV adaptations. In the story, the protagonist Tita makes a Chabela wedding cake for her sister's wedding to the man she loves. The recipe is said to be highly delicate and requires just four ingredients.

Chabela wedding cake recipe

Chabela wedding cake is a traditional Mexican wedding cake, made famous by the novel and film 'Like Water for Chocolate'. The recipe is said to have been adapted from the book to real-life kitchens, with some bakers noting that it is important not to make the cake with a "heartbroken" emotional state, as this may "affect the way the cake turns out".

The recipe for the Chabela wedding cake is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2.5 cups of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup of buttermilk (or milk and vinegar)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of white sugar, granulated
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups of white sugar, granulated
• 1 cup of lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter, cold, cubed
• Zest of 6 limes for finishing

Method:

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and then the sifted dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
• Take the cakes out of the oven when golden.
• Whisk the 8 eggs together.
• Add the sugar and lime juice.
• Heat the mixture but make sure it never goes to a boil.
• While the mixture is being heated, add the butter in cubes.
• Continue adding butter and whisking until completely blended.
• Pass the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl.
• Place the finished curd in a cool place to chill further for 10 minutes.
• To assemble the cake, cut it into two pieces.
• Cool the cake out of the mould for about three minutes on a cooling rack and remove the paper.
• Ladle the curd onto the cake and pour the remaining lemon curd.
• Finish the cake with more zest and glaze.

The Chabela wedding cake should serve 12-14 people.

The story behind the cake

The Chabela wedding cake is a traditional Mexican cake, made famous by the 1989 novel, 'Like Water for Chocolate', by Laura Esquivel. The novel was adapted into a film in 1992 and later into an HBO TV series in 2024. The story follows the characters Tita de Garza and Pedro Múzquiz and their forbidden love.

In the story, Tita and her culinary mentor and caretaker, Nacha, make the Chabela wedding cake for Pedro and Tita's sister, Rosaura's, wedding. Tita is heartbroken as she has been in love with Pedro since childhood. Her tears fall into the cake batter, and when the guests eat the cake, they feel her sorrow and long for their lost loved ones. This is an example of the magic realism in the novel.

The Chabela wedding cake is a highly delicate recipe that requires just four ingredients. The cake is said to be so sensitive that it is advised not to make it when feeling heartbroken, as it may affect the outcome. The recipe includes flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, buttermilk, eggs, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract, and lime juice. The cake is baked and then filled with a curd made from eggs, sugar, lime juice, butter, and lime zest. The Chabela wedding cake is a traditional part of Mexican weddings, which have many specific traditions.

How to prepare the cake

Chabela wedding cake is a traditional Mexican wedding cake. The recipe is said to be delicate and requires just four ingredients. It is made using a combination of eggs, sugar, butter, and flour. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to prepare the cake:

Ingredients:

• 175 g refined granulated sugar
• 300 g cake flour, sifted three times
• 17 eggs
• Grated peel of one lime
• Milk and vinegar (optional)

Method:

• Place 5 egg yolks, 4 whole eggs, and the sugar in a large bowl. Beat until the mixture thickens and then add 2 more whole eggs. Repeat, adding the remaining eggs two at a time until all the eggs have been added.
• When the last two eggs have been beaten in, beat in the grated lime peel.
• When the mixture has thickened, stop beating and add the sifted flour, mixing it in a little at a time with a wooden spoon until it has all been incorporated.
• Grease a pan with butter, dust with flour, and pour the batter into it.
• Bake for 30 minutes.

Filling:

• 150 g apricot paste
• 150 g granulated sugar

Method:

• Heat the apricot paste with a little bit of water. Once the mixture comes to a boil, strain it, preferably through a hair or flour sieve.
• Place the paste in a pan, add the sugar, and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a marmalade.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before spreading it on the middle layer of the cake, which has been previously sliced into layers.

Fondant Icing:

• 800 g granulated sugar
• 60 drops of lime juice, plus enough water to dissolve the sugar

Method:

• Combine the sugar and water in a pan and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
• Strain into another pan and return to the heat. Add the lime juice and cook until it reaches the soft-ball stage, wiping the edge of the pan with a damp cloth periodically to prevent the sugar from crystallizing.
• When the mixture reaches that stage, pour it into a damp pan, sprinkle with water, and allow to cool slightly. After it cools, beat with a wooden spoon until creamy.
• To ice the cake, add a tablespoon of milk to the fondant, heat until it softens, add a drop of red food colouring, and frost only the top part of the cake with the fondant icing.

Meringue Icing:

• 10 egg whites
• 500 g sugar

Method:

Beat together until they reach the coarse-thread stage. Frost the rest of the cake with the meringue icing.

The ingredients of the cake

Chabela wedding cakes are made with a variety of ingredients, including eggs, sugar, butter, flour, and lime. The recipe also calls for baking powder and baking soda, as well as a small amount of vinegar, salt, and vanilla extract.

The cake itself is made by beating eggs and sugar until the mixture thickens, and then adding in the rest of the eggs, two at a time. Once all the eggs have been incorporated, the grated lime peel is added, followed by the flour. The batter is then baked in a greased and floured pan for 30 minutes.

The filling for the Chabela wedding cake is made by heating apricot paste, water, and sugar until it forms a marmalade. This is then spread onto the middle layer of the cake.

The fondant icing is prepared by combining sugar, water, and lime juice, heating it until it reaches the soft-ball stage, and then beating it until it becomes creamy. A drop of red food colouring is added to give the icing a slight pink hue.

Finally, the meringue icing is made by beating egg whites and sugar until they reach the coarse-thread stage. This icing is used to frost the entire cake, while the fondant icing is used only on the top part of the cake.

The cake in popular culture

Chabela wedding cakes have been featured in the novel and film *Like Water for Chocolate*, written by Laura Esquivel. In the story, the protagonist Tita bakes a Chabela wedding cake with her companion Nacha for her sister Rosaura's wedding to the man Tita loves, Pedro Muzquiz. The cake is significant as Tita cries into the batter, causing everyone who eats it to feel heartbroken and long for their lost loved ones.

The Chabela wedding cake is also featured in the HBO series *Like Water for Chocolate*. In the second episode, titled "Chabela Wedding Cake", Tita is seen enduring her sister's wedding preparations while heartbroken.

In popular culture, the Chabela wedding cake is an important symbol in the story of *Like Water for Chocolate*, representing Tita's heartbreak and longing. The cake also serves as a magical element, with her tears causing a realistic effect on the guests who consume it. This episode showcases the magical realism genre of the novel and film, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

The Chabela wedding cake is also an example of Mexican wedding traditions, which are a significant part of Mexican culture. Although 40% of Mexicans are Catholic, Mexican weddings have their own unique rituals and customs. The Chabela wedding cake recipe is still used today for extravagant traditional Mexican weddings, showcasing the enduring nature of these cultural practices.

The popularity of *Like Water for Chocolate* as a novel, film, and television series has brought attention to the Chabela wedding cake, making it a recognisable symbol in popular culture. The cake represents the emotional depth of the story and the magical elements that blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy.

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