Brazilian-Style Chocolate-Glazed Carrot Cake
In bolo de cenoura, the blender pulls out an amazing, orangey sweetness from carrots—totally unlike any American carrot cake.
- Makes12 to 14 servings
- Cook Time1½ hours
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active, plus cooling
- 23
The Brazilian baked sweet bolo de cenoura—which translates from the Portuguese as, simply, “carrot cake”—is a homey, nearly failsafe dessert that finishes a brilliantly hued orange cake with a glossy chocolate glaze. To make the batter, raw carrots, sugar, oil and eggs are blitzed in a blender, then whisked into dry ingredients. We swapped in coconut cream for some of the oil to give the crumb rich, tropical notes and added orange zest to brighten the flavor. It’s best to measure the carrots by weight; too much makes the cake heavy and dense. The classic glaze is similar to the Brazilian chocolate truffle confections called brigadeiros, but we opted for an easier mixture of chocolate thinned with orange juice. Though we usually prefer bittersweet chocolate, the milder flavor of semisweet is better here. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Don’t use regular nonstick cooking spray instead of baking spray, as the cake has a tendency to stick. If you don’t have baking spray, mix 2 tablespoons flour and 1½ tablespoons oil to form a thin paste, then use a pastry brush or paper towel to coat the entire inside of the pan. Be sure to use coconut cream, not cream of coconut or coconut milk. And don’t skip straining any pulp out of the orange juice.
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