Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake)

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 3 ½ tablespoons whole milk
• 5 drops pink gel food coloring
• Rainbow nonpareils sprinkles

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, olive oil, or butter and 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Discard excess flour and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high using a handheld or stand mixer for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the vegetable oil while still beating until fully combined.

3. 3

   In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt using a fine mesh strainer.

4. 4

   Add half of the flour mixture into the beaten egg mixture, along with half of the milk. Mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

5. 5

   Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes on the center rack until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take a quick peek at the cake around the 35-minute mark. If the cake is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil.

6. 6

   Allow the cake to fully cool on the kitchen counter for 3 hours before carefully removing it from the baking pan and transferring it to a large cutting board or serving tray.

7. 7

   Make the icing by mixing together the confectioners' sugar and almond extract in a large bowl with a fork. Mix in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until fully combined. The icing will be thick but still spreadable. If the icing is too thin, it will run off the sides of the cake, which we do not want.

8. 8

   Mix in 5 drops of pink gel food coloring to get that signature bright pink color. Feel free to add more or less depending on the color you want.

9. 9

   Spoon all of the icing on top of the cake and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or an angled spatula. The icing will become smooth as it sets. Garnish generously with sprinkles.

10. 10

    Allow the icing to harden and set for 10 minutes before cutting into squares or triangles.