This easy chocolate cake is so easy that you won’t even need a mixer. Just mix all the ingredients with a whisk and the result is a delicious soft chocolate cake, that you’ll top with the most amazing topping, Brigadeiro!
Easter is almost here and I was wondering what I should do to cheer up my kids, after all this crazyness around the Coronavirus.
Here in U.S. I noticed that the treats for Easter are colorful and diversified. You can get chocolate treats, marshmallow peeps, eggs filled with candies, and so many other options.
In Brazil, the most common and loved easter treat is the chocolate egg. You can find an infinite variety of chocolate eggs! I mean… Big or small, full of bonbons or toys, whole or just half… Even half of an egg, full of mousse or truffle… you name it, you find it!
The thing is, in Brazil, Easter is very chocolate driven, and for me, a chocolate lover, that’s like heaven!
So, since I’m living in U.S., but I can’t deny my Brazilian roots, for Easter this year, we’ll be eating this delicious ‘Easy Chocolate Cake’, topped with a soft brigadeiro (a Brazilian soft fudge) and decorated with some Easter chocolate goodies.
How to make this Easy Chocolate Cake
Many cakes require you to separate the eggs, or mix things in a mixer or blender, but this easy chocolate cake asks you for just a bowl and a whisk. No mixer, no blender, just your strong arm can do this job!
I will write bellow what the simple steps are:
- Heat the water (I use my microwave, but you can use the stove too), dissolve the cocoa in it, and add vanilla;
- In another bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda;
- In a big bowl add the eggs and beat them until all mixed. Incorporate the sugar. Add the cocoa mix and oil, and stir a little more. Add the flour mix until you no longer see the flour;
- Pour the batter in a greased and floured baking pan, and bake it for about 30 minutes.
See! I told you it was easy!! 😉
Soft Brigadeiro Topping
Soft brigadeiro is easy to make, but sometimes (specially the first time you make it) it can be a little tricky. So here it goes a few tips to help you master it:
- Every time you use cocoa, you should 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 bottom 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 boiling keep stirring for about 1-2 more minutes and then turn off the heat. The ideal consistency is the one that spreads easily, but won’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 at a time, stirring well, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Step by Step for a Easter Easy Chocolate Cake
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Easy Chocolate cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Soft Brigadeiro
- 4 tbsp Hot milk (it could also be hot water)
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt cake pan.
- In a small bowl heat a cup of water (I heated mine for 90 seconds in the microwave) and dissolve the cocoa powder in the water, stirring it with a whisk. Add vanilla and set aside.
- In another bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside.
- In a big bowl add the eggs and beat them with a whisk, until they are well mixed and some bubbles have formed. Add sugar and mix until well incorporated. Then add oil, chocolate mixture, and stir.
- After all the wet ingredients have been combined, add the dry ingredients that were set aside. Add it slowly, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake it for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For the Soft Brigadeiro
- In a small saucepan, before turning the heat on, mix the hot milk and cocoa until no clumps of cocoa are left.
- Then add the condensed milk and stir until combined.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 boiling, stir it vigorously for about 1 minute and turn off the heat.Usually, the process of thickening takes about 5 minutes, but this will depend on the intensity of the heat, and brand of condensed milk (some are already thicker than others).
- We are looking for a consistency that will be thick enough to stay on the cake, but not so thick that will be hard to spread over the cake. Also, keep in mind that it will thicken a lot more after it cools down. If you think that it has thickened too much, you can add 1 tbsp of milk at a time, and stir until desired consistency is reached.
Assembling the cake
- While the cake is still warm, run a knife around the cake to make it easier to remove it. Remove the cake from the pan, and place it in a cake plate.
- Turn it upside down, with the flat side up, so it'll be easier to decorate.
- Spread the soft brigadeiro (still hot) over the cake.
- For the decoration shown in this photo, I placed a small saucer to cover the hole in the cake, and placed a chocolate bunny on top of it. Then I put some coconut flakes over the saucer, which I colored with a few drops of green food coloring, and put some chocolate eggs on top.
- Enjoy it with a delicious cup of milk.
Notes
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