Brazilian carrot cake is almost as traditional as rice and beans in Brazil. It's a cake that all moms know how to make, because kids can't stop asking for it! (and adults too :))
Its color is a vibrant yellow, due to the carrots that are blended in with the other ingredients.
It has a few versions... The dense version, the soft and more airy version, the thin frosting version, the soft brigadeiro frosting version... It can be made in a rectangular, round or even bundt cake pan. You are free to decide the way you like it better. The thing is, once you eat the Brazilian version of carrot cake, you are hooked!
Soft brigadeiro frosting
Soft brigadeiro is easy to make, but sometimes (specially the first time you make it) it can be a little tricky. So here are a few tips to help you master it, and take your brazilian carrot cake to the next level:
- Every time you use cocoa, you should sift it over the condensed milk, or dissolve it in a little bit of warm milk to help it to dissolve. This way you won't have little clumps of cocoa;
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan. This way it will be harder to burn the brigadeiro that tends to stick to the bottom of the pan;
- Stir the mixture for the whole time, preferably with a silicone or wooden spatula. This will prevent your brigadeiro from burning;
- After it starts simmering keep stirring for about 1 minute and then turn off the heat. The ideal consistency is the one that spreads easily, but doesn't run off the cake. Remember, it will thicken much more after it cools down;
- If your brigadeiro gets too hard after it cools, and becomes hard to spread, you can simply add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, stirring well, until it reaches the desired consistency.
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Brazilian Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 medium carrots (peeled)
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 21/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Soft Brigadeiro Frosting
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan or a 13x9 panUsing a blender, blend together the carrots, eggs, oil, milk and sugar, until it's smooth, with no carrot pieces left.Pour the blend in a bowl and, with the help of a whisk, incorporate the flour and baking powder.Pour it in the prepared pan, and bake it for about 30 minutes or until you press the center of the cake, and it comes back up quickly. You can also insert a toothpick in the center (it should come out clean). It will have a light golden color on top.Wait for it to cool a bit before removing from pan.
Soft Brigadeiro Frosting
- In a small saucepan, add the sweetened condensed milk, and, with the help of a sieve, sift the cocoa powder over the condensed milk. Mix it with a whisk, until no clumps of cocoa are left.
- Then, turn on the heat, add butter, and stir the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon, constantly, so it won't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once it starts simmering around the edges of the pan, stir it vigorously for about a minute and turn off the heat. It will look a little runny, but it will thicken a lot more after it cools down.Usually, the process of thickening takes about 5 minutes (from the time you turn on the heat), but this will depend on the intensity of the heat, and brand of sweetened condensed milk (some are thicker than others).
Notes
If you still have some carrots hanging around your fridge after making this cake, give this EASIEST CARROT JUICE RECIPE EVER a try. It's delicious and super healthy! They also give you some great variations for carrot juice that can boost your immune system.
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