The BilBolBul cocoa cake is a dessert that takes me back to my childhood, and many of you may have never heard of it. It’s a simple recipe, one that grandmothers used to make in just a few minutes by mixing all the ingredients with a wooden spoon in a large plastic bowl. I clearly remember the anticipation of the snack in front of the oven; sometimes my mom or grandma would prepare little pizzas with sandwich bread slices, sometimes a ring cake or a pinza and every now and then this wonderful cake.
The BilBolBul cake is an extremely chocolaty, soft, delicious, and irresistible pantry cake that is ready in 5 minutes and finishes in an instant. Perfect for breakfast or a snack, it’s fantastic with a cup of milk, and I assure you that you’ll only understand once you try it.
Do you know what the characteristic of this cake is? It contains neither eggs nor fats and is very soft and slightly moist. I don’t usually like desserts “without,” but I assure you that you are facing a special recipe, try it, I’m sure you won’t regret it!
The BilBolBul cocoa cake became famous in the 1920s thanks to gastronome Ada Boni who published it in her recipe book “The Talisman of Happiness”. For its name, she was inspired by the protagonist of a comic strip published in the Corriere dei Piccoli in 1908, an African boy named BilBolBul who lived surreal adventures in his village.
Famous after World War II and known by all grandmothers, the recipe was then shelved over time, today while reading some articles I noticed the name of the comic and it brought back memories; I made it immediately and it’s truly fantastic. I know the amount of sugar might seem excessive to you but it isn’t, follow the instructions I leave you and pay attention to the baking, as it doesn’t have fats and eggs, if you overbake it, it becomes dry.
You can enjoy it plain with a glass of milk or a spoonful of whipped cream, but it’s also a delicious base to be filled with orange marmalade or paradise cream.
Do you love chocolate? Here are some ideas to try:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 280.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 66.67 (g) of which sugars 39.70 (g)
- Proteins 6.66 (g)
- Fat 3.22 (g) of which saturated 1.83 (g)of which unsaturated 1.11 (g)
- Fibers 5.69 (g)
- Sodium 4.02 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (of excellent quality)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk (you might need a bit more depending on the absorption power of the flour and cocoa)
- 1 packet baking powder
- Half teaspoon cinnamon powder (if you don't like it, replace it with vanilla)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (grated)
- to taste vanilla powdered sugar (for dusting)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Scale
- 1 Cake pan 9 inches in diameter
Procedure
Sift the flour with the cocoa and baking powder into a bowl, add the sugar, and mix well.
Gradually pour the milk while combining the mixture with a spoon. Incorporate the cinnamon and orange zest without overworking the mixture.
Note: The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk but, if needed, add a little more until the mixture is creamy and smooth (the consistency is similar to sponge cake). I added 70 grams because the flour and cocoa have different absorption power based on the brand you use and some might require more liquids.
Butter a 9-inch pan and dust it with cocoa. Transfer the mixture into the pan and bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F for 35/40 minutes.
In the last few minutes, do the toothpick test often, the cake must remain moist, do not overbake it otherwise it will become very dry.
The BILBOLBUL cocoa cake is ready, remove it from the oven, let it cool, and dust it with plenty of powdered sugar.
Tips
The BILBOLBUL cocoa cake can be stored for three days at room temperature under a glass dome.
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