Description
Discover the rich and moist Brazilian Carrot Cake, a delightful twist on traditional carrot cake featuring a luscious chocolate frosting made with cocoa powder and sweetened condensed milk. This easy-to-make recipe blends grated carrots into a smooth batter, resulting in a tender cake that’s perfect for celebrations or any sweet craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups grated carrots (around 4 medium carrots)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (approximately 14 oz)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate sprinkles (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a round cake pan or a rectangular baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Blend Wet Ingredients: In a blender, combine the grated carrots, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Blend until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cocoa powder (for the cake, omit if only used in frosting), and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the carrot mixture from the blender into the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- Pour Batter into Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula for an even surface.
- Bake the Cake: Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the Frosting: In a saucepan over low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and vanilla extract. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens slightly.
- Add Cocoa Powder to Frosting: Gradually whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder until the frosting is smooth, rich, and well combined.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake has completely cooled, spread the chocolate frosting evenly over the top. Optionally, garnish with chocolate sprinkles for extra texture and decoration.
Notes
- Ensure the cake is completely cooled before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off.
- You can substitute vegetable oil with sunflower or canola oil if preferred.
- For a moister cake, do not overblend the batter once combining wet and dry ingredients.
- If you prefer a less sweet frosting, reduce the amount of sweetened condensed milk slightly.
- The cocoa powder is used both in the cake batter and the frosting for a deeper chocolate flavor.
