the classic recipe
Brazilian carrot cake with chocolate glaze
Brazil's carrot cake is the smell of Sunday afternoon at your grandmother's house. A tall, feather-light yellow crumb, crowned with chocolate glaze that runs down the sides and sets into a thin, glossy shell. Without the glaze, it's just carrot cake. With it, it's the cake of Brazil.
yields 12 servings·391 kcal per serving·cuisine Brazilian
The traditional recipe
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180 °C (355 °F). Grease a 30 x 20 x 5 cm rectangular pan with butter, dust with flour, shake to coat the base and sides, then tap out the excess.
In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour (240 g), salt, and baking powder (1 tablespoon). Set aside.
Wash, peel, and slice carrots (360 g) into rounds. Add to blender with oil (240 ml). Crack eggs one at a time into a small bowl before adding to blender — this prevents waste if one is off. Add sugar (300 g) and blend for about 5 minutes until the batter is completely smooth.
Transfer the liquid mixture to a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, sifting directly over the batter and folding gently with a wire whisk after each addition — do not overmix.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Test with a toothpick — if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before glazing.
Make the glaze: in a small saucepan combine cocoa powder (50 g), sugar (approximately 70 g / ⅓ cup), butter (14 g), and water (approximately 80 ml / ⅓ cup). Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wire whisk, until the mixture comes to a boil.
Once boiling, continue stirring for 2 more minutes until large bubbles form and the glaze thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
Stir with a silicone spatula off the heat for about 2 minutes until bubbling stops. This step is critical: a still-bubbling glaze will run off the cake instead of setting.
Pour the glaze over the still-warm cake and spread quickly with the spatula to cover the entire surface. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before serving — the signature crackle shell forms as it sets.
Who this dish is for
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