AI-generated image
Arepa dominicana
Arepa dominicana: sweet cornmeal and coconut cake from the Dominican Republic
Not the stuffed corn patty of Venezuela: in the Dominican Republic arepa means a dense, sweet cornmeal cake that grandmothers once baked in a covered pot with hot coals on the lid. The cornmeal is first cooked with coconut milk, milk, butter, sugar and cinnamon into a thick porridge, then baked until it sets with a dark, caramelised crust and a soft, pudding-like centre. It is eaten at merienda with coffee or a glass of cold milk. The common mistake is not cooking the cornmeal long enough on the hob, which leaves the cake gritty. Chef's tip: let the arepa cool completely before slicing; warm, it is too soft to cut cleanly.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ oz butterplus extra for the tin
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 2 cups whole milk
- 7 oz sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 ½ oz fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ⅛ oz raisins
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 23 cm round tin well with a little of ⅜ oz butter and line the base with baking paper.
Step 2: Put 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 2 cups whole milk, 7 oz sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 cinnamon stick and the rest of 1 ⅔ oz butter in a large pan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
5 minStep 3: Remove the cinnamon. Whisking all the time, rain in 10 ½ oz fine yellow cornmeal, then switch to a wooden spoon and cook over a low heat for 8–10 minutes, until very thick and pulling away from the sides.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 ⅛ oz raisins and scrape the mixture into the tin. Smooth the top.
Step 5: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is a deep golden brown and a skewer in the centre comes out clean but moist.
48 minStep 6: Cool completely in the tin, at least 1.5 hours, before turning out and cutting into wedges. Keeps 3 days, covered.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arepa dominicana take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Reform torta
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.
Flan de queso
Denser and tangier than a plain egg flan, flan de queso is the dessert Puerto Rican families bake for birthdays and Nochebuena, often a day ahead so it can chill overnight. Cream cheese is blended with evaporated and condensed milk and eggs, then baked slowly in a water bath on a layer of amber caramel, so it turns out glossy, sliceable and somewhere between a flan and a cheesecake. The common mistake is baking it too hot, which makes it puff, crack and weep; low heat and a water bath keep it silky. Chef's tip: take the caramel to the colour of a dark copper coin, as a pale caramel tastes only sweet and a bitter edge balances the rich cheese.
Ma'amoul
Ma'amoul are delicate shortbread-like pastries made for Eid and Easter across the Middle East. A soft, rose-scented butter dough is wrapped around a filling of dates, walnuts, almonds and pistachios cooked with cinnamon, marked with a fork, baked pale and dusted with icing sugar. Makes 35; they keep well in a tin.