New Cake Recipe: The Picarones

For a long time now I’ve really wanted to travel to Peru. I’ve heard about the many beautiful places like Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca (yes that’s an actual place). Most of all I really want to see the wildlife. I have a strong fondness for Alpacas, Guinea pigs, and Capybara (I’ve included pictures of all three below in case you don’t know what they look like). All three animals are native to Peru and I would love to see them in their natural habitat. I’ve been doing a lot of research on Peru to plan a visit we hope to take some day and I came across an interesting recipe for something called Picarones.

Picarones are a traditional Peruvian doughnut made with sweet potato and butternut squash along with spices such as cinnamon, anise, and clove. The doughnuts are falvored with Pisco, a Peruvian brandy made from grapes. They are then served stacked on a plate and topped with a citrus glaze, called Chancaca, made from unrefined sugar and flavored with orange or lime.

I decided to pay tribute to this delicious sounding doughnut I hope to one day have when I travel to Peru. My cake version is made with fresh sweet potato and butternut squash then topped with a citrus glaze. It is great for people who don’t like overly sweet cakes. It’s also a great way to sneak vegetables into dessert, especially for kids!

Picture of Alpacas taken at a local NJ Alpaca Farm