Mantecada (Colombian Corn Cake)

 

Mantecada (Colombian corn cake) is one of those Colombian recipes that you can make in no time at all whenever you have a craving for something sweet. Even though the recipe is more popular in Bogotá, I have also seen it in other Colombian cities, and that’s why so many people have requested it over and over.

Versión en español

The first time I made it I asked my mom if she remembered what mantecada tasted like and she swore up and down that she didn’t because she had never had it, something I knew was not true and that she simply had forgotten. It wasn’t until after she took her first bite that she automatically said “Oh yeah, I remember now!” And ended up having several pieces.

Some people like to add aguardiente or rum to the cake batter but I prefer to make it without alcohol. You can also serve it with jam and coffee or hot chocolate, but I love serving it with a nice glass of milk.

¡Buen provecho!

 

 

 

 

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Mantecada (Colombian Corn Cake)

  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 9-12 1x
  • Category: Cakes, Sweet
  • Cuisine: Colombian

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
  • ½ cup (75 g) cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter (226 g), softened
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp aguardiente or rum (Optional)
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven at 350ºF (180ºC).
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Then add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract and aguardiente or rum. Now, add ½ the amount of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the milk until it’s well blended. And finally, add the last amount of the dry ingredients. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure that all the flour gets mixed in the batter.
  4. Pour the batter into a prepared 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Let the cake cool off on a wired rack before serving.

 

 

 

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10 Comments

  1. MARIMAR
    July 29, 2015 / 1:20 pm

    ME ENCANTAN TUS RECETAS, QUISIERA SABER SI TIENES UNA RECETA PARA HACER TORTA DE PLATANO MADURO

    • Sweet y Salado
      July 29, 2015 / 6:19 pm

      ¡Muchas gracias, MARIMAR! Todavía no tengo la receta de la torta de plátano maduro, pero mi amiga Silvana, del canal de YouTube, La Cacerola de Silvana, tiene una versión que se ve buenísima. Aquí te dejo el enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4lHcHfdRwQ

  2. Unknown
    November 6, 2015 / 6:53 pm

    Hi there. Can I ask you if this Colombian Corn Cake is moist or dry and how sweet it is. Please reply. Thank you.

    • Sweet y Salado
      November 6, 2015 / 6:55 pm

      Hi there, because it's made with butter, just like a cake, it comes out pretty moist. And it is sweet, kind of like a yellow cake but with a slight corn flavor.

  3. Anonymous
    March 29, 2016 / 8:22 pm

    Hello… Really enjoying watching your videos! I notice that you are using regular cornmeal in this corn cake. I can't seem to find anything but the precooked cornmeal on the Colombian Exito website (looking around on there for when I go to Medellin :o) ). Is no precosida available there? Thanks so much!

    • Sweet y Salado
      March 29, 2016 / 9:10 pm

      Hi there, you don't need to use pre-cooked cornmeal for this recipe, you only need regular cornmeal that is dry but not pre-cooked. In Colombia you can find it as "polenta". =)

  4. Jennifer
    May 20, 2020 / 12:41 pm

    Hi, is it 1 cup or 1/2 a cup of butter. 1/2 cup = 113 grams.

    • sweetysalado
      Author
      May 21, 2020 / 1:32 pm

      Good call, Jennifer. It’s 1 cup, 226 grams. I just fixed it on the written recipe. Thank you!!! ???

  5. Maria Paula Escobar
    June 10, 2021 / 2:36 am

    Hi, how do I adjust the recipe if I want to use gluten free flour?
    Thanks!

    • sweetysalado
      Author
      August 10, 2023 / 9:29 am

      Unfortunately, I always make it with regular flour.

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