Recipe Manuscript

Bombonera

Name: Bombonera
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT40M
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 whole eggs; 10 egg yolks; 250 grams all-purpose flour; 250 grams granulated sugar; 100 grams unsalted butter; Grated zest of 1 lemon; For decoration: Italian meringue (made with egg whites and sugar); Fresh or candied fruits for garnish; For the 'tapa' (lid): 100 grams all-purpose flour (add a spoonful of water if needed)

"Bombonera"

1919

From the treasured pages of Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel

Written by Julia Sánchez Rangel

Early Modern Kitchen (1900 - 1930)American Advanced Dessert

Original Recipe • 1919

Original Manuscript(circa Early Modern Kitchen, 1900 - 1930)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Bombonera

"Huevos enteros 4. Yemas 10. Harina 250 grs. Azúcar 250. Mantequilla 100. Rayadura limón 1. Manera de hacerla: Con el azucar se baten las 10 yemas y 1 huevo entero se bate mucho hasta que levante, luego se le agrega 1 huevo entero y se sigue batiendo después el otro y así hasta terminar con los huevos. Batidos uno y otro entre ellos, en seguida la harina y la rayadura y por último la mantequilla fundida y tibia y se pone en el molde engrasado y espolvoreado de harina y se mete al horno y se cuece con el merengue italiano y encima las frutas. La tapa se hace de pasta de fondo con 100 grs de harina y se detiene con unos palitos para que quede bien. la tapa tambien se decora con merengue."

English Translation

"Whole eggs 4. Yolks 10. Flour 250 grams. Sugar 250. Butter 100. Lemon zest 1. Method: Beat the 10 yolks and 1 whole egg with the sugar. Beat well until it thickens, then add 1 whole egg and keep beating, then another, and continue in this way until you’ve used all the eggs, beating each one in turn. Then add the flour and the zest, and finally the melted, lukewarm butter. Pour into a greased and floured mold and bake and cook with Italian meringue on top along with fruits. The lid is made with a base pastry using 100 grams of flour and is supported with some sticks so it sets well. The lid is also decorated with meringue."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in an elliptical, conversational style typical of early 20th-century manuscript cookbooks. There are few explicit instructions or times, assuming familiarity with basic techniques. Specifics like 'batir mucho hasta que levante' ('beat a lot until it rises') rely on the reader's experience and intuition, not timers or stand mixers. Quantities are metric, but the recipe omits many details present in modern cookbooks, such as oven temperatures and precise baking times. Note the spelling of 'rayadura' (correct modern Spanish: 'ralladura'; meaning zest)—reflecting period orthography or regional variation.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Reposteria de Julia Sanchez Rangel (1919)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Julia Sánchez Rangel

Era

1919

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful handwritten collection of recipes for pastries, traditional desserts, candies, and sweet confections—a charming glimpse into early 20th-century baking, perhaps penned during the second year of a culinary course.

Kindly made available by

University of Texas at San Antonio

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe, titled 'Bombonera,' is drawn from a 1919 handwritten Mexican manuscript by Julia Sánchez Rangel. The cookbook serves as a fascinating snapshot of early 20th-century pastry and confectionery traditions, likely assembled during a formal cookery course—as suggested by the annotation '2° Año.' Recipes like Bombonera reflect both European influences and local innovations in elite Mexican pastry culture. Cookbooks of this era were repositories of family and professional knowledge, often handed down in personal notebooks and shared among women in upper- and middle-class households. They provide not just recipes, but insights into day-to-day culinary practices and aspirations.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

At the time, most mixing was done by hand, using large bowls and sturdy wooden spoons or wire whisks. Some cooks, especially in city kitchens, might have had access to early rotary egg beaters. Cakes were typically baked in heavy metal or earthenware molds, placed in wood or coal-fired ovens. Measuring was done by weight with simple kitchen scales, and lemon zest would be scraped with a small knife or grater. Finished cakes were decorated with a spatula or piping bag for meringue, and arranged fruits on top by hand.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

4 whole eggs
10 egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
Grated zest of 1 lemon
For decoration: Italian meringue (made with egg whites and sugar)
Fresh or candied fruits for garnish
For the 'tapa' (lid): 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (add a spoonful of water if needed)

Instructions

Begin by separating 10 egg yolks from their whites.
In a large bowl, beat these 10 yolks together with one whole egg and all the sugar (1 1/4 cups) until the mixture is pale and light, incorporating as much air as possible.
Once well-aerated, add another whole egg and continue beating.
Repeat this process, adding each of the remaining two whole eggs one at a time and beating well after each addition.
Once all eggs are incorporated and the mixture is voluminous, gently fold in the flour (2 cups) and the finely grated zest of one lemon.
Lastly, add the melted and slightly cooled butter (7 tablespoons) and mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into a well-buttered and floured cake mold.
Bake in a moderate oven (around 340°F) until set and golden.
While still warm, top with Italian meringue and decorative fruits.
For the 'tapa' or lid, make a pastry dough with 3/4 cup flour (and a bit of water if needed), roll it out, and bake supported with sticks so it holds its shape.
Decorate the lid with meringue before serving.

Estimated Calories

400 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 30 minutes getting the ingredients ready and making the batter. Baking the cake takes about 40 minutes. Each slice is about 400 calories, and this recipe makes 10 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.