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    "Home" » Desserts

    Vermicelli Cake

    Published: Jun 20, 2013 · Modified: Apr 21, 2023 by Althea Brown · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Vermicelli Cake (called vamazelli in Guyana) is a dessert made from toasted vermicelli noodles cooked in sweetened milk and warm spices. When cooled the noodles and milk come together to form a rich and delicious cake. The Trinidadian version of this dish is called Sawine. Instead of cooling into a thick cake, their version is a bit more loose and remains in a liquid form. Dried fruits and chopped nuts are added to both versions of this vermicelli dish.

    Vermicelli is one of my husband's childhood favorites. Growing up in Guyana, in my family we didn't eat vermicelli often. It was a sweet reserved for religious holidays like Eid or Diwali. In my husband's family his aunt made it often as an after school snack.

    Jump to:
    • What is Vermicelli Cake
    • Why You'll Love this Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Vermicelli Cake
    • Tips for making vermicelli cake
    • How to Make Sawine
    • Link to the video tutorial:
    • Printable Recipe Card
    • Try my Gluten Free Mithai. It's so good you won't even believe it's gluten free

    What is Vermicelli Cake

    Vermicelli cake is a dessert made with a wheat based vermicelli noodle. The noodles are broken into pieces and toasted in butter. The toasted noodles are then cooked in warm milk and spices until it thickens. This dish is called a cake because when it is cooled it can be cut into slices like a cake.

    Why You'll Love this Recipe

    • Authentic: This recipe has all of the authentic flavors of Guyanese Vermicelli Cake (Vamazelli Cake).
    • Easy to Follow: With Step by Step instructions and visual guides this recipe is easy to follow
    • Delicious: This recipe is a crowd pleaser. It is rich, decadent and absolutely delicious.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for vermicelli cake in glass bowls. Ingredient labels in white placed in the center of the bowls

    How to make Vermicelli Cake

    Prepare the spiced milk by combining the condense milk, evaporated milk and water in a large pot. Then mix together until the condensed milk dissolves. Then add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla essence and mix together well. Add to medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    Scooping Condensed milk with a rubber spatula, into a grey stock pot of milk
    Milk and spices in a grey stock pott
    milk and warm spices simmering in a grey pott

    Next, add the butter to a separate pot on medium heat. Then add the vermicelli noodles and cook until light brown (toasted). Then pour spiced milk to the pot with the toasted noodles.

    toasted vermicelli in a cream dutch oven
    pouring milk through a sieve over a cream pot with vermicelli. Some spices collected in the sieve.

    Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid slightly ajar and and simmer for about 15 minutes stirring a few times to prevent burning, until it is fully cooked

    vermicelli noodles and milk boiling in a cream dutch oven
    Mixing vermicelli noodles with a wooden spoon

    Once the noodles cook and thickens pour the vermicelli into a greased baking dish and rest at room temperature until it cools completely.

    pouring vermicelli noodles from a cream dutch oven into a greased rectangular casserole dish
    vermicelli cake in a white rectangular casserole dish

    Tips for making vermicelli cake

    1. Allow the vermicelli to cool completely before cutting into it. It will make the difference between a nicely compact slice and a sloppy mess.
    2. Some people like to set vermicelli in the refrigerator. For maximum flavor impact, set the vermicelli outside of the fridge. I prefer to just let my vermicelli sit on the counter, at room temperature until it cools down.

    How to Make Sawine

    You can also use this recipe to make Trinidadian style Sawine. Sawine is a type of vermicelli porridge. It is thick but has a lot more liquid that this vermicelli cake. It also does not thicken into cake as it cools. To make sawine, simple add 2 cups of liquids (water or evaporated milk) to this recipe. Follow all the steps as outlined in the recipe card, but once the noodles cook remove the vermicelli from the heat before it thickens. Serve with some crushed pistachios, maraschino cherries or sliced walnuts over the top.

    vermicelli noodles in a creamy base in a white bowl with brown border, resting on a round wooden board with a gold border. Everything is resting on a blue napkin folded into a rectangle.

    Link to the video tutorial:

    Printable Recipe Card

    Vermicelli Cake

    Althea Brown
    Toasted vermicelli noodles cooked in sweet milk with warm spices, then cooled into a delicious pie like cake.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Guyanese
    Servings 12 Slices
    Calories 390 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb Vermicelli Noodles broken into 2-3 inch pieces
    • 3 Cups Evaporated Milk Two 12 ounce cans
    • 1 Cup Condensed milk
    • 3 Cups Water
    • 2 tablespoons Butter
    • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
    • 3 cinnamon sticks
    • 5 cardamom pods
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup golden raisins rinsed
    • 1 cup maraschino cherries optional topping

    Instructions
     

    • In a large saucepan combine condense milk, evaporated milk and water. Mix together until the condensed milk dissolves into the evaporated milk. Then add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla essence and mix together well.
    • Add the saucepan to medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the milk with all the spices. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    • Next, warm a large pot on medium heat. Then add the butter. When the butter melts completely add the vermicelli noodles and toast until brown but not burnt. Work in batches as needed.
    • Then pour spiced milk to the pot with the toasted noodles. Pour the milk through a sieve or strainer to collect and discard the spices. Then add the raisins and mix together well.
    • Bring to a boil the mixture to a boil, stirring often to prevent the milk from boiling over. Once the milk comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid slightly ajar and allow the noodles to simmer for about 15 minutes stirring a few times to prevent burning, until it is fully cooked.
    • If your milk thickens before the noodles are fully cooked add another cup of water and mix together well, then continue to simmer until the noodles are fully cooked.
    • Once the noodles cook and the milk simmers down to a thick and creamy consistency pour the vermicelli into a greased baking dish and allow it to cool completely.
    • When the vermicelli cake cools, garnish with maraschino cherries and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 8gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 190mgPotassium: 410mgFiber: 2gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 233IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 281mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Try my Gluten Free Mithai. It's so good you won't even believe it's gluten free

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea says

      February 16, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      Enjoy your recipes

      Reply
    2. SIMONE A JESSAMY says

      January 18, 2021 at 2:28 pm

      I tried the plait bread, now I'm trying the vermicelli cake. Easy, simple recipes. Thank you

      Reply
      • Althea Brown says

        January 18, 2021 at 3:34 pm

        No thank you and happy cooking.

        Reply
    3. Felisia says

      July 27, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      My daughter has Celiac disease and has to be gluten-free. Is there a way I can make this with gluten-free vermicelli? If there is one? Ty

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 2locations says:
      January 12, 2022 at 2:55 pm

      3panasonic

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Althea! I have a real passion for cooking, especially traditional Caribbean recipes with deep roots! I was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana and now live in Denver, Colorado with my husband and 3 kids. I am a Whole30 Certified Coach and love sharing wholesome remixes to traditional Guyanese and Caribbean dishes.

    More about me →

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