Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Panetela, Fluffy and Light

Name: Homemade Chocolate Panetela, Fluffy and Light
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 180 g all-purpose wheat flour, without added yeast; 40 g pure unsweetened cocoa powder; 180 g white sugar (120 g for yolks and 60 g for whites); 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 150 ml whole milk at room temperature; 80 ml sunflower or corn oil, mild flavor; 8 g baking powder (chemical leavening); 5 ml vanilla extract (1 teaspoon); ¼ teaspoon fine salt (approximately 1.5 g); 5 ml sunflower or corn oil (1 teaspoon) to grease the pan

Homemade chocolate panetela with pure cocoa and a fluffy crumb. A baked recipe for afternoon snacks, without fillings or toppings.

CiberCubaNovember 5, 2026

CiberCuba / AI-generated image

Preparation20 min
Cooking45 min
Total time1 h 45 min
Servings1 20 cm diameter panetela, for 8 servings
DifficultyMedium

A freshly made chocolate panetela is a good excuse to brew coffee and share afternoon snacks. This version features pure cocoa, a touch of vanilla, and mild-flavored oil. The egg whites are beaten separately and folded in at the end to aerate the batter.

The recipe is designed for a 20-centimeter round cake pan and is served in slices, with no need for fillings or toppings. The most important thing is to weigh the ingredients, mix carefully after incorporating the egg whites, and check the doneness so the crumb retains its moisture.

If you also like the vanilla version, you can prepare our Cuban panetela.

Method

Preheat the oven and prepare ingredients

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Turn on the oven to 175 °C, with top and bottom heat and no fan (approximately 350 °F). Place the rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a round cake pan of 20 cm diameter and at least 6 cm high and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. The bowl for the whites and the beaters must be clean, dry, and free of any fat residue. Avoid letting yolk fall into the whites.
Sift the dry ingredients. Pass the flour, cocoa, and baking powder through a sieve. Add the salt and mix to distribute the ingredients well.

Prepare the batter

Beat the yolks with part of the sugar. Add 120 g of sugar and the vanilla to the yolks. Beat for about 2 or 3 minutes, until the mixture lightens and has a creamy texture.
Incorporate the oil and milk. Add the 80 ml of oil in a thin stream while mixing. Then add the milk and stir until you obtain a uniform preparation.
Add the flour and cocoa mixture. Incorporate the dry ingredients in two batches. Mix with a spatula or hand beaters, only until no traces of flour or cocoa lumps remain. Avoid over-beating.
Whip the egg whites. Beat the whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 60 g of sugar and continue beating until they form soft peaks: they should look glossy and hold their shape, with tips slightly bent when lifting the beaters.
Combine both preparations. First incorporate one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate batter to lighten it. Add the rest in two batches, using gentle folding motions from bottom to top, until no white streaks are visible. Use a spatula for this step.

Bake and cool

Fill the pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface gently. Do not fill it more than two-thirds of its height. Put it in the oven immediately.
Bake the panetela. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes, approximately. Start checking doneness from minute 35: insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out without raw batter, though it may carry some moist crumbs. If it still comes out with liquid batter, continue baking and check again a few minutes later.
Let it cool. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Unmold carefully, remove the paper from the base, and let the panetela cool on the rack for another 30 minutes, or until it has enough firmness to be sliced without crumbling.
Slice and serve. Divide the panetela into eight portions. You can serve it alone or accompany it with coffee or milk.

Tips and variations

Use pure cocoa. The recipe is formulated with unsweetened cocoa powder. Sweetened drink mixes have a different composition and should not be substituted in the same quantity.
Weigh the flour and cocoa. Quantities in grams allow for more precise measurement than a cup or a heaping spoon.
Watch the egg whites carefully. Stop beating when they are glossy and form peaks with tips slightly bent. Over-beaten egg whites are harder to fold into the batter.
Check the baking. The time may vary depending on the oven and the pan material. Use the toothpick test and avoid prolonging cooking once the center is done.
Respect the pan size. In a wider pan, the panetela will be shorter and may cook faster. A smaller pan will require another time adjustment and may be insufficient for all the batter.
Total time. The 105 minutes include 20 of preparation, up to 45 of baking, and about 40 of cooling; these are approximate times.
Utensils. 20 cm round cake pan, parchment paper, scale, two large bowls, sieve, hand mixer, spatula, toothpick, and wire rack.
Allergens. Contains wheat, egg, and milk.

Gallery

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Homemade chocolate panetela with a slice cut showing its fluffy crumb.

Homemade Chocolate Panetela, Fluffy and Light

Ingredients

For the panetela

To prepare the pan