Brazilian Carrot Cake - Bolo de Cenoura Com Cobertura de Chocolate

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 08/8/19
Marian Blazes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 24 servings

This golden cake with shiny chocolate glaze is a Brazilian favorite perfect for an after school snack or for a mid-morning break with coffee. Carrots give the cake its bright yellow hue, but they're barely detectable in the flavor, which is like a rich butter cake. The chocolate icing is a pourable version of the popular Brazilian candies called brigadeiros. This cake is often served as a round or rectangular single layer cake, but the recipe is also nice for cupcakes. Add some mini chocolate chips to the batter for an extra treat.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 carrots
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 1/4 self-rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • For the Chocolate Glaze:
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps to Make It

 

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  3. Peel the carrots. Grate the carrots with a hand grater or by using the shredding blade attachment of a food processor. Add the vegetable oil and one egg to a food processor or blender with the grated carrots, and process until the mixture is very smooth.

  4. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in the remaining two eggs, the sugar, the salt and the vanilla. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until just mixed.

  5. Line 2 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners. Divide the batter between the pans, filling them to just below the top of the paper liner. (There may not be enough batter to fill all 24 cups).

  6. Bake cupcakes for about 20 minutes, or until cupcakes have risen and a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

  7. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool on a rack.

  8. Prepare chocolate glaze: Add the cream, cocoa powder, water, sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan.

  9. Stir well and bring just to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture becomes very shiny and slightly thickened.

  10. Remove glaze from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.

  11. To glaze cupcakes: Turn a cooled cupcake upside down and dip the top of the cupcake into the warm glaze, covering the entire top and letting the excess glaze drip off before placing the cupcake back on a rack. The glaze will set as it cools. If the glaze cools off too much so that it's difficult to dip the cupcakes, just rewarm it gently on the stove over low heat.

  12. Cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days, or for about a week in the refrigerator. Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
268 Calories
12g Fat
39g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 268
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 270mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 3g
Calcium 51mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)