What is it about Rosalia's "14 carat" cake that makes half of Instagram want to turn on the oven?
There are artists who fill stadiums and burst playlists... and then there are those who, in addition, get half the country to turn on the oven just as easily. Rosalía does both. A few days ago, on the Spanish program La Revuelta (TVE), she appeared with a homemade sponge cake under her arm and something very easy to understand happened: everyone wanted to try it.
In the program she explained that it is the cake she always makes, her trusted recipe, and not something created just for television. Broncano (the presenter) tried it live, the public did too, and the reaction was unanimous: it was delicious. A few days later, the "bizcocho 14 quilates" (14 carat cake) was already on Instagram, with a complete recipe and a pretty clear summary: lots of olive oil, lots of orange aroma, a touch of liqueur, lots of powdered sugar and a moist crumb worthy of a good grandmother's recipe cake.
In a universe where triple-decker cakes and impossible desserts get most of the attention, the fact that one of the most important Spanish artists of the moment shares a traditional sponge cake puts her in a very recognizable place: that of anyone who prepares a grandmother's recipe sponge cake on a Sunday afternoon to share with family or friends. Only here grandma wears a platform and perfect eyeliner.
This is the sponge cake that Rosalía took to Broncano, the one that today triumphs in networks and that you can also prepare at home. If you want, you can listen to Bizcochito in the background while it bakes, but the real high will be the smell of orange and anise coming out of the oven.
Rosalia's 14 carat cake: what makes it special?
Beyond the fandom phenomenon, the recipe works for several reasons:
- Extra virgin olive oil: it brings prolonged juiciness and that point of flavor recognizable in many traditional Spanish doughs.
- Double presence of orange: zest and juice, with a perfume reminiscent of roscones, village cupcakes and "traditional" sponge cakes.
- Aniseed liqueur: Rosalía uses Grand Marnier or Anís del Mono; the touch of liqueur does not dominate, but adds depth and a very festive winter nuance.
- Slow baking and moderate temperature: about 70-75 minutes at 330°F/165ºC, with the trick of using aluminum foil so that the surface does not burn while the cake is rising and setting.
The result is a tall sponge cake, with moist and elastic crumbs, which holds up very well from one day to the next. In fact, Rosalia herself recommends eating it the next day, when the flavors have settled.
Ingredients for Rosalia's 14 carat cake
For a mold of about 8.5-9.5 inches (22-24 cm) (round or crown type):
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (220 g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 and 1/4 cups of whole milk (300 g)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice (60 g)
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Anis del Mono (60 g)
- 1 and 3/4 cups of sugar (350 g)
- 2 cups of wheat flour (240 g, pastry type)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- Powdered sugar in abundance for sprinkling at the end of the cake
How to make Rosalia's 14 carat sponge cake, step by step
1. Prepare the baking pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 330°F/165ºC, heat up and down. Line the base of a round springform pan (about 8.5-9.5 inches/22-24 cm) with baking paper and grease it.
2. Emulsify oil and eggs
In a large bowl, mix the olive oil with the eggs. Whisk until the mixture is homogeneous and slightly thicker; the idea is that the oil does not float.
3. Add the aromatic liquids
Add the milk, the orange zest, the juice and the liqueur (Grand Marnier or Anís del Mono). Mix again until everything is well integrated.
4. Integrating the sugar
Add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves in the liquid mixture. It is not necessary to whip, but it must be uniform.
5. Incorporate the dry ingredients
In another bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the main bowl in two or three batches, integrating with a whisk or spatula, just until you see no lumps.
The batter is more liquid than usual in a sponge cake; this is normal and is part of the final juiciness, as Rosalía herself explains to her fans.
6. Long baking and aluminum foil trick
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 70-75 minutes. When you see that the surface is well browned, remove the mold for a moment, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and put it back in the oven so that it finishes baking without burning on top.
The cake is ready when it has a slightly domed shape and when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Resting (with a lot of patience)
Once out of the oven, leave the cake in the mold on a rack for 1 hour. Only after this rest, carefully unmold and let it cool completely.
8. Powdered sugar "as if there were no tomorrow".
When cool, sprinkle the surface with plenty of powdered sugar, without fear. Rosalía herself insists on this final gesture and makes it almost a sign of identity of the cake.
Why this sponge cake has worked so well
Beyond the Rosalia effect, the "14 carat" has several things going for it:
- It is made with ingredients that are easy to find in any Spanish supermarket and around the world.
- It uses extra virgin olive oil as the main fat.
- The orange + liqueur combo appeals to the Spanish traditional flavors, halfway between the "roscón de Reyes" and the snack cake.
- It doesn't need topping, filling or complicated decoration: the gesture of sprinkling powdered sugar is almost all you need to do to make it ready. Although if you want you can accompany it with a lightly semi-whipped cream or, as the artist suggested, with a scoop of ice cream of your favorite flavor.
- It keeps very well wrapped at room temperature for 2-3 days. The olive oil and whole milk help keep the crumb juicy longer.
- If you make the mini version you will have bizcochitos ;-).
It's a sponge cake that looks a lot like that idea of "home" we have in our heads, only filtered through one of the most potent names in pop today. If Rosalía has started baking, it's only logical that the rest of us are already turning on the oven.
Patricia González
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