Brazilian Carrot Cake with Chocolate Sauce
Brazilian Carrot Cake, bolo de cenoura in Portuguese, is one of Brazil's most iconic cake recipes. It's soft, moist, and has the most beautiful orange color from the carrots blended right into the batter.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 large carrots (peeled and cut into chunks (you should have enough to fill a liquid 1-cup measurer all the way to the top))
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil ((can also use canola oil))
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
- Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. A sheet pan is OK, too, if you don't have a bundt pan. You can also use an 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch round pan. (The baking time will change with these, though, so please keep an eye on them.)
- Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 pinch kosher salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine, set aside
- Peel and chop 2 large carrots into chunks.
- Place the chopped carrots into a blender. Blitz them until they are shredded.
- Scrape the sides of the blender cup, then add 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar and blend until creamy.
- Scrape the sides of the blender cup, then add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and blend until smooth.
- Crack 3 large eggs into a small bowl, add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
- Pour egg mixture into the blender and pulse (2-3 times) to combine with the carrot cream. Do not overmix.
- Pour the carrot cream into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold until well combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester/toothpick inserted to the middle comes out lightly crumbly to clean. This will take about 35-40 minutes for the classic bundt pan.
- Move the cake pan to a cooling rack and let it cool for about 10 mins, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool in the rack.
- Measure all the ingredients — 3 tablespoon whole milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 pinch kosher salt — to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking consistently. Let it boil 3-5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the cake while still warm and let them cool together. The sauce will become crackly.
We top it with a simple buttery chocolate sauce that crystallizes as it cools or classic brigadeiro. This Brazilian carrot cake requires no fancy technique or equipment. All you need are a blender and a few simple elements you most likely already have at home.
A sheet pan is OK, too, if you don't have a bundt pan. You can in addition use an 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch round pan. (The baking time will change with these, though, so please keep an eye on them.) Sift 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder and 1 pinch kosher salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine, set aside Peel and chop 2 large carrots into chunks.
Scrape the sides of the blender cup, then add 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar and blend until creamy. Scrape the sides of the blender cup, then add 1/2 cup vegetable oil and blend until smooth.
Crack 3 large eggs into a small bowl, add 2 teaspoon vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Pour egg mixture into the blender and pulse (2-3 times) to combine with the carrot cream.
Pour the carrot cream into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold until well combined. Pour into the prepared pan, and bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester/toothpick inserted to the middle comes out lightly crumbly to clean.
This will take about 35-40 minutes for the classic bundt pan. Move the cake pan to a cooling rack and let it cool for about 10 mins, then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool in the rack.
Measure all the components — 3 tablespoon whole milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 pinch kosher salt — to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking consistently. Pour the sauce over the cake while still warm and let them cool together.
