Have you ever heard of a Brazilian Carrot Cake? I grew up eating this cake and every time I have it, it brings back all those childhood memories! But what's the difference between this one and the carrot cake most of you know? Ok, there are carrots, but that's it 🙂 Really! No spices or nuts. And the frosting is a chocolate sauce. Pretty different, right?
So, keep reading to learn here how to make a traditional Brazilian Carrot Cake!
📋 Ingredients
For the cake you will need carrots, all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, butter (the traditional recipe uses vegetable oil but I think it tastes better with butter) and eggs.
For the chocolate sauce you'll use sugar, chocolate powder (no fancy chocolate here, I use a product similar to Nesquick, just like it was made in my home when I was a child), butter and water.
🍳 How to make it
For the cake you will place raw chopped carrots (you can also use grated carrots), melted butter, sugar and eggs in a blender and blend until smooth. The next step is to transfer this mixture to a large bowl and slowly add the flour and baking powder. When this is done you will pour the batter in a greased and floured round cake pan and bake cake for around 40 minutes.
The chocolate sauce couldn't be easier, in a saucepan you will place all ingredients and simmer until it thickens a little, for about 10 minutes.
Finally, you will remove the cake from the pan, let it cool, make holes on top with a fork and pour the sauce over the cake.
As you can see, it's very easy to make and I'm sure you'll love it!
But you might be thinking: do carrots really go with chocolate?
Yes, yes, and yes!
Since there are no spices on this cake, there are no flavor conflicts. Plus, how about Easter? Isn't it a bunny that brings us chocolate eggs? 🐰
❗ Important tips and variations
- Blend the carrots with sugar, butter and eggs until very fine - almost liquid. You do not want to see any pieces of it.
- Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to add the flour to the blender. I ruined a blender trying this and had to get a new one!
- This recipe uses butter, but if you want to make the classic original recipe, you can substitute the butter for vegetable oil (soy, canola, corn, or any unflavored oil).
- Do not use store bought chocolate sauce. It is not the same thing as the one you'll be making here.
- You can use any chocolate powder, I use one similar to Nesquick.
- You can use a rectangular baking pan too. I've done this recipe in a 10.5x13.5 inch pan, but the baking time had to be reduced to about 20 to 25 minutes.
📖 Recipe
If you like this cake, I think you will love the Brazilian Cold Coconut Cake.
Brazilian Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 17.5 oz carrots chopped or grated
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 4 eggs
For the chocolate sauce
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp chocolate powder *see note
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Cake
- Place carrots, melted butter, sugar and eggs in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Slowly add the flour and baking powder.
- Pour the batter in a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan (grease and flour cake pan). *My cake pan is 3 inches deep, if yours is not that deep, you should use a bigger pan.
- Bake for around 40 minutes.
Chocolate sauce
- In a saucepan place all ingredients and simmer until it thickens a little, for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan. Let it cool and make holes on top with a fork. Pour the sauce over the cake.
I think I've had this at a dance event. It was delicious!
Are the carrots cooked? How can you blend "roughly chopped" carrots?
Hi Charlotte,
I think my instructions weren't clear enough and I have changed a bit. You have to place roughly chopped carrots (they are not cooked), melted butter, sugar and eggs in a blender and blend until smooth.
I appreciate your question and I hope you try this recipe at home 🙂
Andrea
This sounds fabulous... I think I will grate the carrot before blending so it will blend faster. Thanks for the recipe.
That's a great idea. And I hope you like this delicious cake!
What is the oven temperature for baking this cake?
Hi Susan
It's 350F (180C). I'm adding this information to the recipe.
I hope you like this cake!
Andrea
Tried this as stated but.....I used a 9" pan and it leaked out all over the oven so I think it should be in a bigger pan maybe a 9x13 pan.
Hi Pamela,
Well, I use a 9-inch round cake pan, maybe mine is higher than yours, mine is almost 3-inch high. Anyway, I'll mention that on the recipe.
I hope you make this cake again!
When you sat “chocolate powder similar to Nesquik … I have Hershey’s dark and alsoregular chocolate (powdered) for baking, but it is bitter because it has no sugar in it. Do you add the sugar?. Is this what you mean? It looks wonderful and I want to try it!
Hi Becky,
If your chocolate powder has no sugar added, I recommend using a little more sugar than what it says on the recipe. I hope you make it! You'll love it 😉