Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake) Recipe

With its enchanting pink color and colorful tiny round sprinkles, cortadillo, or Mexican pink cake, is a favorite among Mexican children and adults alike. But while you might be drawn in by the pretty frosting, the real reason you should be trying this cake is its rich crumb and layered creamy milky flavor, courtesy of the four types of milk used in its preparation.

Mexican cuisine is known for fiery salsas, savory stews, crispy tostadas, and a selection of simple, sweet desserts known commonly as pan dulce, or sweet bread. Cortadillo, or Mexican pink cake, is one of the best but lesser-known confections that can be commonly found in any Mexican bakery, called a panderia. This sheet cake is a fond memory for any Mexican child, which many have tried — and failed — to find in bakeries in the United States. Luckily, this recipe will demonstrate how easy it is to make this childhood favorite at home.

All you need to make this cake is a handheld mixer, and four types of milk. We've drawn inspiration from the famous Mexican tres leches cake, and utilized condensed and evaporated milk, as well as buttermilk and cream to make this cake extra moist and flavorful. Don't skimp on that pink food coloring, and enjoy your dip into the taste of Mexican childhood.

For the cake itself, you'll need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, room temperature butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. The pink icing that gives this cake its name is made out of heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, pink food coloring, and colorful sprinkles, for garnish.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture, then add vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream.

Add the milk mixture to the egg mixture.

In a large bowl, alternate the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Whip the cream, condensed milk, and food coloring to soft peaks.

Spread the whipped topping over the cake (cut off the top if needed to straighten it).

Transfer the cake to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Top with sprinkles.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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This Mexican pink cake, commonly known as cortadillo, is a staple of traditional Mexican bakeries. While some desserts, like the three kings cake, capirotada, and the impossible cake, are served on a specific day and linked to a certain celebration, others, like strawberries with cream, are more of a regular occurrence that has somehow made its way into the memories and lives of people all over the vast country.

While the origins of Mexican pink cake cannot be traced back to a single region, its appearance is ubiquitous. Mexican pink cake is a common dessert that can be found in bakeries throughout Mexico, and nowadays, in Mexican-American communities across the U.S. as well. Tastings of the cake appear on TikTok, and many people turn to Facebook and Reddit in search of their favorite childhood cake. Despite the lack of a distinct origin story, the cake remains as popular as ever, and the myriad of versions you can find across the web reflect how entrenched this cake has become in Mexican culture. 

This cake is great just as it is, but if you want to make it a bit different, there are a few other options to look into. One thing we love is ditching the commercial food coloring in favor of more natural ingredients that give it that beautiful pink hue. Beet powder is the most popular ingredient, and it wouldn't interfere with the structure of the icing. Another option is to blend pink pitaya, or dragon fruit, and mix the resulting juice with the whipping cream. However, you have to be careful with how much juice you add to avoid changing the texture of the topping.

You can also try adding fresh fruit to the cake batter — try folding in cherries or raspberries for a sweet little surprise as you cut into the cake. You can bake the cake in individual molds or even muffin tins for individualized cupcakes that are perfect for a birthday party. And if you're short on time, you can even use your favorite vanilla or yellow box cake mix in this recipe, taking care to adjust the liquid quantities as per the box mix's instructions.

All in all, the Mexican pink cake is a fun one to make at home. Try it for a child's birthday party, a gender reveal party, or even just a nostalgic afternoon treat. 

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