This post is about love. This post is about life. This post is about cake.
Let’s get into it.
Have you read this book?
If you like love you’ll like this book.
If you like to laugh you’ll like this book.
If you like food you’ll like this book.
If you don’t like any of these things… um, what are you doing reading this blog?
I absolutely adore Like Water For Chocolate – I’ve read and reread it more times than I can count.
So it was a natural that, when the right time came along, I would bake my way through it.
And I couldn’t help but start with this wedding cake that appears early on in the book.
Now before the literary purists in the crowd go all Mr. Hyde on me, I want to stress that this is my own interpretation of the Chabela Wedding Cake. Like Water For Chocolate relies heavily on magical realism to tell its tale, plus the original cake was intended to serve 180 people – the recipe calls for 170 eggs.
Given that I don’t have a hen house in my backyard, I adapted the recipe to suit my own needs.
I went with a feather-light vanilla cake and a lime curd glaze. The sweet, smooth flavor of the cake goes so well with the tart zing of the luscious curd.
I punched holes through the tops of the bottom two layers so that they would absorb the curd and they did – sweet, moist sponges of goodness.
In the spirit of Like Water For Chocolate, I baked this cake with a lot of love.
I baked it with love for A., since we have some special milestones coming up. And in case you were on the hunt for a special Boy Bait recipe, I will tell you that A., the King Of All Cake Haters, ate one piece and proclaimed this the best cake that he had ever eaten. Ever.
I also baked this cake with love for you! I am so appreciative of the time that you spend here, reading my ramblings and recipes, and I am so incredibly thankful for all of the friends that I have made along the way.
Thank you! Love, Meagan
Chabela Wedding Cake
adapted from Like Water For Chocolate
For the cake:
3 c. cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. white sugar, granulated
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
For the curd glaze:
8 large eggs
2 c. white sugar, granulated
1 c. lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cold, cubed
zest of 6 limes for finishing (Please note that I used Mexican/Key limes here and for the juice. You can use any type of lime that you choose, just be sure to note that Mexican limes are approximately half the size of standard limes.)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare 3- 9″ round cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper and then greasing the bottoms and sides. Set the pans aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, 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. Divide the finished batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans and smooth the tops of each filled pan. Bake the cakes for 23-26 minutes – finished cakes will be golden at the edges with a cake tester inserted in the center of each coming out clean or almost clean. Set the finished cakes aside to cool before unmolding.
Meanwhile, to prepare the curd, whisk the 8 eggs together in a heat-proof bowl. Add the sugar and lime juice and set the bowl over a double-boiler pot of simmering water. While continuing to whisk, add the butter several cubes at a time. The mixture will heat, but should never boil. Continue this process of whisking and adding butter cubes while the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 10-15 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from heat and whisk or beat it for one minute more. Pass the curd through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl. Straining your curd will ensure that it is absolutely silky smooth, and, by transferring it to another bowl, will facilitate the cooling process as well. Place the finished curd in the refrigerator to chill further for another 10 minutes.
To assemble your cake, unmold the first cake and set it on a rimmed baking sheet. This lime curd is a thinner consistency, especially just after it’s prepared, and when you pour it over the tops of the cakes some of the curd will run off. This is why I recommend assembling the cake on a rimmed sheet and not on your serving piece: you can capture, spoon up and re-pour any runoff curd.
Use a small dowel or ice pick to poke holes in the top of the cake. Ladle the curd onto the cake and then use your ladle to slowly smooth it down into the holes. Repeat this process several times until the cake is thoroughly saturated. Once the bottom layer is soaked, zest two limes over top. Set the second layer on top of the first and repeat the process of poking holes, soaking and zesting. Finally, set the third layer on top of the second and pour the remaining curd on top. Finish the cake with the zest of two more limes. Allow your assembled cake to soak for 10-15 minutes in the curd and then carefully transfer it to your serving dish. Serve immediately or store for several days in a covered container.
YIELD: approximately 14-16 servings
Okay, Agua Para Chocolate as I call it in my house is one of my favorite movies! I have had the book in my collection for at least a year, you have inspired me to read it! It’s so cool that you made this cake, it’s looks fluffy and delicious!
I love this book, and the movie. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you,
oh, my….! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book too! One of my favourite! And I was intrigued with this post because I saw “like water for chocolate” on the title!
Now I’m intrigued to make this beautiful elegant cake! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re so very welcome! Let me know how it turns out!
My daughter had to read this book for school in Year 10 and asked me to read it too. A well written and memorable tale of love, food and life. The details of the recipes in the story are great too. Thanks again.
I read your recipe back in October and ordered the book right away. I had a couple other books to read so I am just starting it and I love it! When all is said and done, I will be coming BACK to this post to start cooking my way through.
Thanks for the inspiration!
thank you for the recipe, great looking cake! cant wait to have my english class eat the one i make
Thank you! And happy anniversary…yes, I am reading the posts backwards…
yum!!! i made some monster cakes recently, would love to know what you think
This is AWESOME! My first visit, and you talk about one of my all time FAVORITE books! I’m grinning ear to ear, at this cake, and at someone who knows my book. I can tell this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
Meagan I love this! The cake is of course completely perfect to look at but I love that you made it from the book. I have not read the book myself but watched the movies years ago and believe the premise that you can taste a persons emotion in the food (well, I think you can taste the LOVE in someone’s food, not sure if you can evoke emotion if it was present when making). This is totally charming and beautiful!
I was JUST telling my mom the other day I wanted to make some of the recipes in the book! It is my favorite book of all time and I know it like the back of my hand. Thank you for the recipe, I was wondering how I should scale it down, I am so trying this! Thank you!!
Both this cake and what you wrote about in the post are just lovely. The cake captures the essence of beautiful simplicity…it looks so delicate, so sweet. I think this will be the next cake I make. Thank you!
Audra
http://www.oneloudlemon.blogspot.com
I love that book and I LOVE the look of this cake
I only read the book last year but I’ve been meaning to try some of the recipes from it ever since.
Your cake ROCKS! Glad the husband loved it – beautiful post!
I love, love, love the book and loved, loved, loved the movie. You have taken me back into all the magic of it all. Thank you.
Fantastic! Beautifully created.
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
We (your loyal readers) already know you deserve Top 9, and now the rest of the blogging world does, TOO! Congrats, Meagan. I never read the book, never saw the movie, and now I have to go see if it’s on Netflix and count my limes. See what you’ve done?
You made me smile – MAJORLY.
Thanks, Kimberly!!
I really liked that book! It’s been years, and now with a long flight looming on my horizon I’m thinking I just might have to pick it up again.
This cake though… WOW! I’m enamored with lime and this one surely fills that bill. I think this cake could literally go on to be my favorite of all time. Nicely done!
And congrats on a well deserved Top 9 position!! Woo Hoo!!!
I love food inspired by books! Like Water for Chocolate has always been one of my favorites but tackling the wedding cake never occurred to me. It looks delicious — I’ll have to try it sometime!
This looks and sounds fantastic! I really need to find some time to rad something that doesn’t involve puppet or cartoon protagonists. ha! Gorgeous cake.
read*
I loved Como Agua Para Chocolate and was so happy when it came out in English so I could share it with friends.
Your cake sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to try it!
I loved that book! Thanks for reminding me how wonderful it is. This cake looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for doing an adaptation as the original size would have stopped me for sure!
I was 17 when I read this book. And I have kept my copy ever since. My favorite book ever! Honestly, I have not paid attention to the recipes the first time I read it. Now that I am thirty-ish, (I still have the book with me) I am ready to start creating my versions of the recipes featured in the book. I really love the book! I am sure I will be enjoying this cake too…
Haven’t read the book, but loved the movie, both in English and Spanish with subtitles. I read your blog occasionally, but now I’m a follower so I can keep up with the rest of LWFC’s recipes!
This cake is beautiful. The flavors have me drooling…so refreshing!
The name of my blog comes from this book!
LOVE this book/movie!!! And ADORE your cake!
That is a book I have never gotten around to reading…maybe I should make time. The cake is gorgeous and definitely looks like love. I LOVE the lime…YUM!
Thanks Meagan.
The cake looks delicious! I love your blog space
LOVE _Like Water for Chocolate_. I can’t re-read it too often though because it makes my heart ache too much. And this cake looks simply divine.
What an elegant cake Meagan. I love that it’s not sloppy with super sweet icing. The curd glaze looks perfect.
beautiful and lovely cake with the drippings.
Simple elegance is what comes to mind with this lovely cake – the glaze is glorious. I haven’t read the book, but the motion picture was an enjoyable experience. Brava Scarletta!
I love this cake! I love the book AND movie! Such a classic in my opinion
I love the movie but have never read the book. Beautiful cake!
Please thank A. for giving this beautiful cake a ringing endorsement. Without it, we may not have seen it on Scarlettabakes, and what a loss that would have been, since it looks so fabulous! And a big congratulations to you and A.!
I used to own the movie and loved it… I didn’t know there was a book. This changes everything.
Honestly, I think having watched that movie in High School changed my view of food for ever.
Gorgeous cake, delicious flavors and a great book! Saw the movie, was wonderful.
I love this! First, that cake looks like heaven! Second, I love that book! I haven’t read it in so long, but I think I should read it again.
Love, Love, LOVE the book and I’m THRILLED beyond words that you’re going to do the book in recipes! Yay!!! forwarding it via stumble upon (how I got to it) and look forward to the next entry (and I hope it gets a zillion hits!)
You’re too sweet, Ann! Thanks so much!! Hugs, Meagan
Oh man, this looks great! I am also not normally a cake lover – I typically find them to be too dry, and I DO NOT like frosting, so cake is just not something I typically gravitate towards (pie, on the other hand…). This, however, would alleviate both issues – the curd is a great replacement for a frosting in my book and would totally keep it from getting even remotely dry. I will definitely keep this in mind next time I am looking for a cake to make.
Hello Scarletta,
I just wanted to tell you that my daughter loves that book, and guess what, she was gonna have me bake the Chabela. Hey, what can I say, you beat me, it looks pretty, how does it taste?
We have tried the Christmas Rolls, its ingredients are very unusual but we loved the Christmas Rolls and will be making them again around the holidays.
Keep in touch, and let me know if you tried the Christmas rolls.
Happy Baking,
Roz
Hey Roz! The cake tasted wonderful – I wanted it to be simple, approachable and lighter than air, and it was all of those things. Even my husband, A., King Of The Cake Haters, adored it and went back for seconds. I haven’t tried the Christmas Rolls yet, but they, along with the Chiles en Nogada and the Turkey Mole, are definitely next on my hit parade. Thanks so much for reading!!
That book has been on my to read list forever! The cake looks spectacular – especially that glaze…
This sounds absolutely fantastic! Love it!
It looks so moist! And I’m sure it is since you made holes in the cake to absorb the glaze, which is a great idea!
Great interpretation and beautiful cake!
What a stunning cake! So moist and fabulous!
PS…I need to dig up my copy of Like Water for Chocolate and re-read it
I haven’t read this book. But if it inspires a cake like that, I’ll pick up a copy on the way home from work!!
This is an unusual and elegant cake. I love all things citrus and I am sure I would enjoy this. Your pictures are stunning and I am glad you shared this recipe. Yum!
I love these pictures!!
You had me at vanilla cake with lime curd. Looks fabulous!
Lovely cake, this is a very nice interpretation of the wedding cake. But take care when you cook it, be sure you do not put a tear on it. “Como agua para chocolate” is a wonderful book to read.
This looks amazing. After seeing cake after cake decorated over the top; the simplicity is beautiful. I also love lime. Think I must make! I also remember seeing the movie; it was beautiful.
lime curd? oh man…yum!!
Omgosh! My mouth is watering just imagining the taste of lime curd in the cake. Yum! Beautiful pictures too!! PS.. I never read the book, but I loved the movie. : )
I have never heard of that book before, but I am going to have to look for it. This cake sounds amazing! Light and Tangy – yes!
This cake looks wonderful and certainly baked with love. I have never read the book or seen the movie. I’m much more of a book reader so I will need to get a copy.