Cuban recipe
Cuban Breakfast with Café con Leche, Panetela, Medianoche and Papaya Juice
A complete Cuban breakfast for 4: café con leche, fluffy panetela sponge cake, ham and cheese medianoche, and papaya juice with water.
- Preparation30 min
- Cooking50 min
- Total time1 h 20 min
- Servings4 breakfasts
- DifficultyMedium
In Cuba, a good Sunday or weekend breakfast is never skimpy: piping hot café con leche, something sweet to go with it, and a savory bite to get you on your feet. Here we bring together four classics of the Cuban table in a single menu designed for four people.
The panetela, a simple, fluffy sponge cake with no topping, is dunked in the café con leche. The medianoche of ham, cheese, butter and pickles, toasted on the griddle, is the savory sandwich. And the papaya juice with water, served ice cold, refreshes and balances the whole meal.
Ingredients
Check off the ingredients you have.
Panetela
Ham and cheese medianoche
Café con leche
Papaya juice
Method
Panetela
- Preheat the oven to 170 ºC and grease a pan of about 20 cm with butter.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar for 7 to 10 minutes, until thickened and tripled in volume.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba - Add the vanilla and salt. Fold in the sifted flour little by little, using gentle folding motions so you don't lose the air.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba - Let cool, unmold and cut four portions. You can bake it the day before.
Medianoche
- Open each roll without separating it completely and spread a little butter inside.
- Divide the ham, cheese and pickle slices among the rolls, and close them. Spread a little butter on the outside.
- Brown and gently press each medianoche on the griddle or in a skillet over medium-low heat, on both sides, until the cheese melts and the bread is golden.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba - If you like, cut them diagonally to show the filling.
Papaya juice
- Blend the ripe papaya with the cold water. Adjust the sweetness with sugar and the consistency with more water; add a few drops of lemon if you like.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba - Serve in four tall glasses with ice. It should be a drinkable juice, with no milk.
Café con leche and plating
- Brew the Cuban coffee nice and strong. Heat the milk without letting it boil.
- Mix in four cups, to your taste, one part coffee to two or three parts milk, and sweeten to taste.
- At each place, serve a hot medianoche, a portion of panetela, a cup of café con leche and a glass of cold juice.
