Post #100!!! The One And Only Torta Bruselina

Bruselina de chocolate

Last week we started celebrating our first anniversary, and today marks our 100th post!!! What could be better than two celebrations on a row? For this occasion, I decided to make a cake that I love, and that I’ve been wanting to prepare and share with you for a long time now, but never really got to it. Today, I finally had the perfect excuse to make it. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you the exquisite, the one and only, torta Bruselina.

Bruselina-1-1024x768Bruselina had a glorious past in Lima, and for many years it was the “it” dessert in many of the best restaurants. Now it’s not as popular, as the taste of Peruvians has become a bit more sophisticated, and crazy fusions and avant-garde creations are what people look for in a dish; but it can still be found in several bakeries and pastry shops. However, I prefer to make things at home when it’s possible, and in this case the recipe is easy enough, so why not?

bruselinaThe baking and the whipping can be done in advance, and the dessert can be assembled the day that you’re going to eat it. Nothing extra is necessary to enhance the beauty of this dessert, but you may add a scoop of ice cream or caramel sauce, if you want. The only rule: always serve it very cold.

bruselinaThis is not a torta or cake, in the strict sense of the word. It´s more like a delicate and soft dessert, and extremely addictive (you’ve been warned!). You can change the recipe and make it with cinnamon instead of cocoa, substituting the latter with 1/2 cup of flour and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. A couple decades ago I had my fare share of this “cake” at a Brazilian restaurant in Lima called Rodizio. The place has since gone out of business, but the memory of its Bruselina has stayed with me. This was their dessert specialty, and they had it in the 2 versions I’ve mentioned above: chocolate and cinnamon. Which one was better? Impossible to choose.

BruselinaAbout our post # 100… I want to express my gratitude to some people that have made this journey so beautiful and exciting for us: first of all, to Morena, my daughter and the other half of this team. She had the idea of this blog, and it´s a delight to work with her every day.

Bruselina

To Eduardo, whose constant advice has been priceless, who believes in us and always has great expectations for this blog. To Alex and Hector, whose friendship, help, and technical support helped us get started, and once we got off our feet, helped us overcome more than one crisis. To Rachel, a talented designer and good friend.

Bruselina

To Ana, the original inspiration behind this, and all our Hermanas, for their friendship and support. And of course, to all our readers, friends and followers, because it’s a pleasure to share with you everything we know and love about Peruvian cuisine.

I send a big, virtual piece of Bruselina to you all!!!

Bruselina cake
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups cake flour
  • ½ cup cocoa
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup grated nuts / almonds
  • Parchment paper
  • Whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. Put the parchment paper in baking pans, and draw 7 circles in the paper (8 inches / 20 – 22 cms) or cut them, round, square or rectangular.
  3. In the mixer at high speed, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add eggs one by one, beating 8 minutes after you add the fourth egg.
  4. Meanwhile, sift together the flour with cocoa and baking powder. Reserve.
  5. Continue beating at a lower speed and add the ground nuts, flour and cocoa. At this point, do not over mix, just enough to form a moist batter.
  6. If you want, you may grease the paper, but I don´t do it. You may spray a little water in the baking pans, so the paper doesn´t move around. Spread about ½ cup of the batter in each circle using a spatula. The circles should be thin but no transparent.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes, approximately. The resultin cookies must be cakey and a little crispy on the borders. Be careful and do not let them burn. Cool in racks.
  8. To assemble: Start with a cookie, cover with whipped cream and repeat the layers. Finish with a cookie. You may garnish this dessert with toasted almonds, more whipped cream, and toffee. Refrigerate at least two hours.
  9. Note: You can bake the cookies up to 15 days in advance. Store them in tightly sealed tins.


Comments

  1. Este postre se ve exquisito. Muy pronto estare preparando la torta Bruselina en mi casa. Gracias por la tajadita virtual que me enviaste y muchas felicitaciones por haber escrito el post#100.
    Adoro este blog, soy fan #1.
    Felicidades y saludos desde California!

  2. Yum! That looks amazingly delicious!!! Happy 100th post!

  3. This has to be the best looking and probably best tasting cake I’ve seen! I love chocolate and nuts and almonds. Book marketing this for when I have a get together in my new apartment.

  4. Yum, now this is a cake to celebrate with. I never had such a cake- save me a slice!

  5. Queremos pastel, pastel, pastel! This is one gorgeous cake. Congratulations on your 100th post. 🙂

  6. What can u substatute parchment paper with? Please answer as soon as possible!!!!!!

  7. Your Bruselina cake looks delicious! Time to “take it to Switzerland”!
    Happy 100th post anniversary.

  8. Hi, I was wondering if this could be made with the boxed cake or brownie like betty Crocker? I don’t really have the quality of time to make it fully , so I am wondering if that would be possible? I want to try to make one soon, thank you?

  9. Una duda, no entiendo bien. Si la quiero hacer de canela ( no de chocolate) cual son las cantidades?? Es una galleta o un queque delgadito? Espero tu respuesta me encantaria hacerla. Ya les cuento. Gracias.

    • Hola Mariana. En vez de cocoa le podrías poner 1 cucharada de canela en polvo a la harina. Estas capas son delgadas, quedan como las galletas grandes de chocolate chips pero con una textura un poco más suave, que se hará más amelcochada cuando armes la torta con la crema batida. Nos cuentas y mandas fotos! Gracias por visitarnos.

  10. Could you please give me the weight measurement of the 1 1/2 sticks of butter – i.e. is it 50 grams, 100 grams ???? – and the half cup of grated almonds is that the same as ground almonds? Cheers

  11. Por favor aclarar la cantidad de margarina que se necesita, el paquete de qué tamaño es.

    Gracias

  12. María Luisa Bocangel de Maragliano says:

    Hola!!!la torta bruselina es una de mis favoritas, recuerdo que iba a un lugar al costado del cine Roma en Santa Beatriz, pero no recuerdo el nombre, ahora podré prepararla, gracias infinitas ♥️

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