Carrot cake is one of our top recipes on the blog, and while we adore our mom’s traditional carrot cake, there’s another version that holds a special place in our hearts. Growing up, our Brazilian neighbor made a unique carrot cake that looked nothing like ours. Her cake was soft, smooth, and bright orange with a gooey chocolate glaze on top. We loved it so much that we recreated it with this Brazilian carrot cake recipe.
Tips for the Best Brazilian Carrot Cake
- Quality Ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients make a big difference, especially with the carrots. Fresh carrots ensure better flavor and a moist cake.
- Blending the Carrots: For a smooth, bright orange carrot sponge, blend the carrot mixture until completely smooth.
- Cooling the Cake: Let the cake cool completely before adding the chocolate glaze to avoid melting or runniness.
- Cooling the Glaze: Allow the glaze to cool slightly until it reaches a pourable but still-warm consistency for easy spreading and a glossy finish.
Brazilian Carrot Cake
Ingredients
**Carrot Cake:**
- – 3 large carrots peeled and sliced
- – 4 eggs
- – 1 cup neutral oil vegetable oil
- – 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- – 2 cups all-purpose flour
- – 1 tablespoon baking powder
- – 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon if using Morton salt
**Chocolate Glaze:**
- – 5 oz dark chocolate chopped
- – 3 tablespoons butter
- – 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- – 1/2 cup heavy cream
- – 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- – 1/4 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon if using Morton salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9×13 inch metal pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a blender, add the carrots, eggs, and oil. Blend until smooth.
- Add the sugar and vanilla to the blender and blend until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until evenly combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased baking dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before adding the chocolate glaze.
**Chocolate Glaze:**
- In a bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, salt, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a small pan over medium heat, heat the cream and sugar until hot but not boiling.
- Pour the hot cream and sugar over the bowl of chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth.
- Set aside for about 15 minutes until the glaze is pourable but still warm.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Let it set on the counter until the topping is firm enough to cut but not hard.