Tips and tricks for making the best fried cakes!
One of the most popular Creole recipes, fried cakes, also known as Cachanga or Sopaipillas depending on the region and are typical of the gastronomy of the Río de La Plata, Argentina and Uruguay.
They are so Creole that they are traditionally presented as inseparable friends of mate, especially on rainy days; and during the events for national holidays they usually travel in the girls’ baskets with skirts and braids that transport us to the time when our country was born.
They are delicious and easy to make, however not everyone does well when making them. For this reason, we will give you, in our opinion, the best tricks so that they turn out perfect.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make the best fried cakes, here are the answers.
Tricks to make fried cakes turn out perfect
The dough
The basic recipe is to make fried cakes with fat, those fried cakes with plain flour without yeast. It consists of placing 1 kg of common flour on the counter, in the shape of a volcano or crown, and in the hole in the center add 1 teaspoon of fine salt and 7 tablespoons of melted beef fat ( it should not be too hot , let it cool down a little) .
Then we add warm water in the necessary amount to form a soft and homogeneous dough. The secret is in the kneading. We have to knead quite a bit until we can sink a finger into the bun and the dough returns to its place.
This is the recipe for true Creole fried cakes, a simple preparation as we have seen but it does not end there. There are different factors that come into play when it comes to getting them perfect.
The cuts and shapes
To cut and shape fried cakes we can use several different methods . One way is to stretch the entire dough with a rolling pin, which we will have sprinkled with flour so that the dough does not stick. Also sprinkle the work table with a little flour. Once we have stretched it to approximately 1 cm thick , with a knife we cut the cakes in the shape we like best. Then, with a fork, pierce the fried cakes on both sides. It is advisable not to leave spaces of more than 1.5 cm without drilling; This will ensure even cooking and crispiness.
Another way to assemble the fried cakes is, from the large dough ball, make small balls and then shape each one. Using our fingers we can give it the traditional rounded shape . We can also stretch each bun with the rolling pin. Then we make a large cut in the middle with a knife to ensure adequate cooking.
My grandmother made them in the form of braids. She stretched the dough, cut it into rectangles and cut each of them into three strips with a knife, leaving a piece (about 2 cm) uncut on top, where the braid was attached. With the strips she put together the braid and at the end she put the dough back together so that it doesn’t fall apart.
The cooking
To cook the fried cakes we must heat enough pork or beef fat (or both mixed) in a pot or pan. It is very important that the fat is very hot because otherwise the fried cakes will absorb and remain very greasy and moist. We can first test the temperature of the fat by throwing a small piece of dough, it should make a lot of bubbles and make a noise.
We fry them in fat in two or three, depending on the size of the pan, but they should not be on top of each other. We cook them on both sides , so that they are well browned. When we remove them, we let the oil drain for a few moments and then place them on kitchen paper so that it absorbs a little fat. If we like them sweet, we sprinkle them with sugar.
If necessary, you can mix oil and fat to fry fried cakes, but it is not ideal due to the difference in fat content.
Fluffy fried cakes
To make the fried cakes spongy instead of crispy, we can prepare the dough using a fundamental ingredient in the dough, yeast.
How to make fried cakes with yeast
To prepare 1 kg of flour we would need 1 sachet of dry yeast or half a packet of pressed yeast. In a cup we place warm water (it can also be milk) add the yeast and two teaspoons of flour. We stir to mix and dissolve the yeast a little, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Then we place the flour mixed with a teaspoon of salt in the shape of a crown on the table. In the center we add the yeast mixture. With our hands we begin to mix everything. We add more water or milk as needed to form a very soft and moist dough, not dry.
The next step is essential: kneading. We knead well for 15 or 20 minutes, spreading the dough in all directions. This way we will be able to give heat to the dough and break down the wheat gluten fiber, allowing it to rise well and acquire a soft and spongy texture.
We wrap the dough in a nylon bag, place it in a bowl and cover it well with a towel or tablecloth. It is important that the dough does not come into contact with air so that the surface does not dry out. We let it rise for about two hours and we can now stretch the dough and shape the fried cakes.