Coca boba or coca de llanda

Coca boba may be one of those recipes that have been there, in my life, since day one. My mother did it (and still does it) every now and then as if nothing had happened, without any kind of prolegomena or planning – that's how simple she is; now even my father is encouraged! – and a breakfast would solve the same for us as a snack that comforted our spirits with a glass of hot milk before going to sleep.

I am not saying it to say, the coca boba, as its name already suggests, cannot be easier to make ; We only need to combine a handful of basic ingredients, common in every pantry (sugar, eggs, flour, oil and little else), place the mixture in a mold and bake for half an hour. And this is how we end up with a cake for everyone who likes it, without great pretensions, but with a very fluffy, tender and fragrant crumb . Not a bad plan, right?

This coca boba – also known as coca de llanda (coca de lata) , coca mal feta (badly made coca) , coca de mida (measured coca), coca María or secret coca, depending on the area – is a traditional, typical recipe from the Valencian Community and of course very popular in Alicante, my land. As usual in these cases, each house gives it its own personal touch (from astral proportions of the ingredients, to ancestral ways of flavoring it and other family "secrets" related to a thousand and one stories) and there are many debates originated from because of these variations, each defending what, in their opinion, is the perfect recipe. Don't be fooled; all the versions are good and each one makes it their own according to their own criteria and personal preferences.

The name coca de llanda (as it is generally known in Valencia) is due to the fact that it is very common to use an oven plate or aluminum tray to make it. However, on this occasion, I have used my Laura Ashley porcelain tray , with which I am deeply in love. And it is that, although the dimensions are important, it is not essential to stick to the letter of the issue of the mold in this case; it's about avoiding complications. So, this one that I leave you here today is the recipe for coca boba just as we usually make it at home, very basic (we are very classic), perfect for everyone to give it their own touch (if they feel like it).

Laura Ashley porcelain oven tray , Laura Ashley tea towel and Laura Ashley porcelain plate

Ingredients (for 8-10 people)

All ingredients must be at room temperature , unless otherwise indicated.

• 200g white sugar
• 3 eggs (L)
• 125 ml light olive oil
• 125 ml of milk (whole or semi-skimmed)
• 1 teaspoon mild honey (optional)
• 250 g of common wheat flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons chemical yeast (Royal type)*
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Sugar and cinnamon, to sprinkle

Elaboration

1. Preheat the oven (electric and airless) to 180ºC with heat up and down and place the oven rack in the center position.
2. Grease the inside of a rectangular tray of about 32 x 22.5 cm and about 6 cm high, suitable for the oven, with non-stick release spray or lined with parchment paper, like the Laura Ashley porcelain tray that I used for this recipe. . We booked.
3. In a medium bowl, place the flour, yeast, lemon zest, and salt and mix with a whisk until well combined. We booked.
4. In the bowl of our electric mixer , equipped with the whisk attachment (or in a separate large bowl), beat the eggs along with the sugar at medium-high speed for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is white, acquires a smooth texture fluffy and visibly grow in volume.
5. Next, we lower the speed and, without stopping beating, we add the olive oil progressively in a trickle until integrated.
6. Then add the milk and honey (if we are going to use it), also progressively and at low speed, and mix until everything is completely combined.
7. Now add the dry ingredients that we had reserved (point 3) in two batches, gently mixing just enough until there is no remaining flour to integrate. Although I usually use the KitchenAid for the first steps (where more energetic movements are usually required for longer times), I like to do this one in particular by hand with the help of a silicone spatula, because that way I make sure I don't over mix. and my cake is light and fluffy.
8. Then we pour the mixture into the mold and sprinkle a little sugar and a little cinnamon all over the surface.
9. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the surface has acquired a nice golden hue and when pierced with a skewer in the center, it comes out dry and clean of crumbs.
10. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

This is one of those recipes that is even better the next day than freshly made; the flavors have settled and the texture has taken on more body. It keeps for 3-4 days super tender, always well covered and at room temperature.

Laura Ashley porcelain baking tray and Laura Ashley apron

Grades

• *For this recipe it is also very common to use gasifier (also called soft drinks or soft drinks) instead of chemical yeast. The raising agent is nothing more than another type of chemical booster that is presented separately in pairs of sachets: in one sachet – the white one – we will have the acidulant (usually tartaric acid, malic acid or citric acid) and in the other – the color – sodium bicarbonate. When adding it to our biscuit mixes, all you have to do is add the content of both sachets at the time and quantity indicated in the recipe. Some people prefer them to chemical yeast, because in addition to providing juiciness and volume, they contain fewer additives (be careful, some have sweeteners!). These raising agents, as their name indicates, are also used to prepare carbonated drinks (soda, soft drinks, etc.) at home. If you want to do the test and compare, for this coca boba you should use, instead of the indicated chemical yeast, 2 double envelopes (that is, 2 white and 2 colored).
• Because it's so grateful, coca boba allows for a good variety of personal touches. You can substitute part of the flour (¼ of the total, for example) with ground almonds, milk with yogurt or even orange juice, and/or even add nuts, raisins, apples, chocolate chips...
• Honey, in such a small quantity, will not add flavor, but it will nevertheless help the crumb of our coca boba to remain tender for longer. But if you're not a fan, feel free to skip it.

I hope that, if you have not tried it until now, you will do so shortly; You will see how easy it is to do and above all to enjoy!