Cuban Drunken Sponge Cake (Panetela Borracha)
A feather-light egg sponge cake soaked through with a cinnamon-and-rum syrup until every bite is moist and fragrant. A nostalgic treat from old Cuban panaderías, best with a cup of strong coffee.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Prepare pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 23 cm (9-inch) round cake pan, dust it with flour, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper so the cake releases easily later.
- as needed butter and flour
Beat yolks with sugar
In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg yolks with 150 g of the sugar for 3–4 minutes until pale, thick, and doubled in volume — it should fall off the beaters in a thick ribbon. Stir in the vanilla.
- 6 egg yolks
- 150 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whip whites and fold
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Bake the sponge
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the rum syrup
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soak and rest
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Prepare pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 23 cm (9-inch) round cake pan, dust it with flour, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper so the cake releases easily later.
- as needed butter and flour
Beat yolks with sugar
In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg yolks with 150 g of the sugar for 3–4 minutes until pale, thick, and doubled in volume — it should fall off the beaters in a thick ribbon. Stir in the vanilla.
- 6 egg yolks
- 150 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Whip whites and fold
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Bake the sponge
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the rum syrup
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soak and rest
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Panetela borracha descends from Spain's bizcocho borracho, brought to the island by Spanish immigrants and bakers. In Cuba it became a fixture of the neighborhood panadería, sold by the slice alongside cafecito and often made for birthdays and family gatherings.
The cake itself stayed simple — just eggs, sugar and flour, whipped to lightness without any butter in the old recipes — because its real character comes from the syrup it is soaked in afterward, usually scented with cinnamon and dark rum.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It captures everything people miss about old Cuban bakeries: a plain, humble sponge transformed by a fragrant rum syrup into something rich, moist and deeply comforting.
💡 Fun Fact
Despite the name, 'drunken' refers to how thoroughly the cake is soaked, not necessarily to a heavy alcohol taste — many home versions use just a splash of rum, and a children's version is sometimes made with vanilla syrup only.
Havana, Cuba
23.11°N, -82.37°W
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!