Ribbon cake is a soft, moist, and dense cake, popular in most local Goan bakeries. It has a rich and buttery flavor with a tender crumb. The colorful layers which resemble ribbons are a characteristic feature of this cake, and hence the name!
Ribbon cake is often served alongside wafers(chips/crisps), patties, and some chutney sandwiches at most Goan celebrations or special occasions be it a birthday party, get-together, or any other gathering.
The cross-section of the vibrant and colorful layers revealed on slicing a loaf of ribbon cake is truly a feast for the eyes! No two slices are the same, as each slice has a unique ribbon pattern.
If you are not a fan of the traditional Christmas fruit cake or know of someone who doesn’t like it either but would still like to bake a cake for Christmas, then do try this super simple Goan ribbon cake. It will make a wonderful addition to your ‘kuswar‘ (Goan Christmas sweet platter).
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This is a basic pound cake recipe. A basic pound cake recipe calls for a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I’ve scaled down the recipe as per the capacity of my loaf pan.
Here is what you’ll need to make this cake recipe.
- All-purpose flour: I’ve used regular all-purpose flour. You can also use cake flour for a lighter crumb.
- Butter: Use unsalted and softened butter.
- Sugar: Castor or granlated cane sugar. If using icing sugar, use the same quantity, but do sift it.
- Eggs: Make sure to use room-temperature eggs.
- Leaveners: Though not traditionally used, I’ve used some baking powder to make this pound cake a bit lighter.
- Salt: Skip if using salted butter.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a wonderful flavor and aroma to the cake.
- Gel colors: Just a drop of red and green gel colors to create the ribbon effect.
Please see the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
1- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with a little butter and line it with parchment paper leaving about 1 to 2 inches of overhang on both sides.
2- In a medium mixing bowl, sift 150 grams of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3- Whisk until well combined.
4- In a large mixing bowl, add 150 grams of unsalted, softened butter and 150 grams of castor sugar.
5- Using a handheld mixer, cream butter, and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
6- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula once or twice.
7- Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute on medium speed after each addition.
8- Add the last egg along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating for 1 minute on medium speed until well combined. (Total of 3 eggs used)
9- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
10- Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts.
11- Fold dry ingredients with the butter mixture gently after each addition, just until combined and no more flour streaks are visible.
12- Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and transfer it into 2 small bowls. (1/3 cup batter per bowl)
13- Add a drop of red and green gel color to each bowl. Mix gently.
14- Spoon 1/3 portion of the white batter into the prepared pan, and smooth out the surface evenly using a spatula.
15- Next, spoon in the pink-colored batter and smooth out the surface with a spatula.
16- Repeat with 1/3 portion of the white batter.
17- Repeat step 15 but now with the green-colored batter.
18- Add the remainder of the white batter and smooth out the surface evenly.
19- Tap the loaf pan a couple of times on the countertop to eliminate any air bubbles.
20- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
21- When the cake is baked, transfer the loaf pan to a wire cooling rack. Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Lift the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!
Variations
This cake recipe is pretty basic, yet delicious! If you want to spruce it up, here are some suggestions listed below. Feel free to use one or mix and match to make your version of this Goan ribbon cake.
- Flavor – Feel free to add different flavors to the different layers of this cake. You can use peppermint, butterscotch, almond extract, or lemon zest and lemon extract for a citrus flavor, etc.
- Color – While pink and green ribbons are distinctive layers of this cake, you may use your preferred colors other than the colors used in the recipe. You can also add a little color to the white batter instead of leaving it plain.
- Nuts: Fold in a handful of chopped nuts like cashew nuts, almonds, or walnuts in the batter for a nutty texture.
- Dried fruits: Raisins, dried blackcurrants, dried blueberries, dried cranberries, etc would make a lovely addition to this cake.
- Chocolate – You can make a chocolate ribbon pound cake by adding a couple of tablespoons to 2/3 portions of the batter.
- Spice it up: You may add pumpkin pie spice mix, apple pie spice mix, ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, etc for a hint of spice to the cake.
- A dusting of icing sugar: This will give the cake a festive touch!
- Top it with glaze: You can top the loaf with a glaze of your choice, like a simple vanilla glaze, lemon glaze, chocolate glaze, cream cheese glaze, etc.
Have fun experimenting with these suggestions!
Storage
Room temperature: This ribbon cake will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 to 3 days.
Refrigeration: For a longer shelf life, you may refrigerate the cake in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Freezing: Once the cake has cooled down completely, wrap the cake loaf or individual cake slices in cling wrap and then aluminum foil, place it in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Be sure to label the contents. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving. Do not refreeze! Avoid thawing it in the microwave as it affects the cake’s texture and moisture.
Top tips
Weigh your ingredients: For best results, I highly recommend you weigh your ingredients for this recipe. I have tried to provide the measurements of volume in cups as well for those of you who don’t have a weighing scale, but I have to warn you that it is approximate, and may vary if your cup volumes differ from mine. This in turn will affect the outcome of the cake.
Softened butter: It should feel slightly cool to the touch. It should not be mushy, melty, greasy, or shiny. To check, press the butter with your finger, if it leaves an indent with little resistance, it is softened. If it slides through easily, it is too soft.
Eggs: This recipe uses equal parts of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I’ve used 3 medium eggs for this recipe. The total weight of 3 medium-sized eggs without the shells was 150 grams which is the same as the weight of each of the ingredients. If needed, you can adjust the quantity of the other ingredients according to the weight of the eggs.
Avoid overmixing the batter: Never overmix the batter as it will result in a very tough and chewy cake. As long as there are no flour streaks, a few tiny lumps are perfectly fine in the batter.
To achieve the ideal ribbon effect: Ensure that you layer and spread the batters evenly. You can use a wooden skewer to swirl the batters ever so gently for the marbled effect.
Clean slices: Always allow the cake to cool down completely before slicing. Slicing a warm cake may cause it to crumble and fall apart.
For a more moist cake: You can add about 1/4 cup of milk or buttermilk in this recipe. Alternate adding wet and dry ingredients, beginning with dry and ending with dry ingredients. Also, you may replace about 25 grams of the butter with vegetable oil to keep the cake moist for longer.
FAQ
Can I make an eggless version of this cake?
I haven’t tried an eggless version of this cake yet, but you can follow my eggless marble cake for an egg-free version. Follow the same process of separating the batter into 3 parts and coloring 2 parts.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour?
You may use it, but it will make the texture of the cake denser. I suggest using a 50:50 ratio of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. You may add some milk/buttermilk to adjust the consistency of the batter.
Why is my cake crumbly?
The cake can turn dry and crumbly if you overmix or overbake it. Do keep an eye on the cake after 35-40 minutes, as each oven is different. To fix a dry cake, poke holes over the surface and drizzle a simple syrup over it. I suggest making a lemon simple syrup to balance out the extra sweetness in the cake from the simple syrup.
Related
You may also enjoy these easy cake recipes:
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Ribbon Cake
Ingredients
- 150 grams unsalted, softened butter 2/3 cup
- 150 grams castor sugar/granulated sugar 2/3 cup
- 3 medium eggs (total weight 150 grams without shell)
- 150 grams all-purpose flour 1 cup + 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- red food color
- green food color
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan with a little butter and line it with parchment paper leaving about 1 to 2 inches of overhang on both sides.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift 150 grams of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 150 grams of unsalted, softened butter and 150 grams of castor sugar.
- Using a handheld mixer, cream butter, and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula once or twice.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute on medium speed after each addition.
- Add the last egg along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating for 1 minute on medium speed until well combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts.
- Fold dry ingredients with the butter mixture gently after each addition, just until combined and no more flour streaks are visible.
- Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and transfer it into 2 small bowls. (1/3 cup batter per bowl)
- Add a drop of red and green gel color to each bowl. Mix gently.
- Spoon 1/3 portion of the white batter into the prepared pan, and smooth out the surface evenly using a spatula.
- Next, spoon the pink-colored batter and smooth out the surface with a spatula.
- Repeat with 1/3 portion of the white batter.
- Repeat step 15 but now with the green-colored batter.
- Add the remaining 1/3 of the white batter and smooth out the surface evenly.
- Tap the loaf pan a couple of times on the countertop to eliminate any air bubbles.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- When the cake is baked, transfer the loaf pan to a wire cooling rack. Let the cake cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes. Lift the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!
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