Serves 10–12
I don´t think this rich, fudgy, syrup-drenched cake is originally from Peru. However, it is hugely popular in Lima and you can find it in every bakery, café, corner store, and home. If there’s a birthday party, rest assured that this will be the cake holding the candles.
3 cups cake flour
8 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
½ cup sliced almonds or coconut flakes
For the syrup:
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the fudge:
½ cup cacao powder
3 tablespoons hot water
1 12-ounce can unsweetened evaporated milk
1 14-ounce can condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
1. Grease a 10-inch tube pan, and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
3. Sift the flour, cacao coffee, salt, and baking soda, in a big bowl.
4. Make a well in the center and add the oil, milk, vinegar, vanilla, eggs, and sugar. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon.
5. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 1 hour. Let cool.
6. To make the syrup: Put the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Add the vanilla essence and cool.
7. To make the fudge: Stir the cacao into hot water until it dissolves completely. Put the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cacao in a pan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens and you can see the bottom of the pan.
8. Turn off the heat and add butter. Stir. If it´s too thick, add a little milk.
9. To assemble the cake: Cut it in three layers and pour some syrup on each one.
10. Spread some fudge on the first layer, and cover with another layer. Repeat.
11. Cover the cake with fudge, and sprinkle with sliced almonds or coconut flakes.
To make this cake you only need a bowl, a spoon, and a baking pan. This means that you don´t even need a mixer to blend it all together.