Bolo de Cenoura

Translation: Carrot Cake

Pronunciation: bolo de ce-noura

It is really hard to find a Brazilian child that doesn't like a good old carrot cake with a crunchy chocolate topping. This delicious cake was introduced in Brazilian cuisine not so long ago, but it does have a long history. Lots of desserts with carrots were produced in medieval times due to the amount of sugar present in this vegetable.

The Brazilian version of the cake is actually a spin-off of the American carrot cake. While in the U.S. the cake is filled with nuts and spices; such as cinnamon and sugar, and topped with cream cheese frosting, the one I grew up with is made with mostly carrots and a chocolate crunchy top.

Carrot cake was the first cake I ever learned how to bake completely from scratch. This was also the first cake my grandma taught my mom and aunt how to bake as well. This recipe has been in my family for generations and was introduced by my great aunt Eleusa in the 80s.

The special thing about this specific recipe is that all of the ingredients can be blended in a food processor or a blender. This ensures no carrot chunks are in the cake and makes the process a lot easier. I have never made this cake without a food processor or blender but I don't know if it would work with just dicing carrots.

Recipe:

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Cook Time: 30-35 minutes

8-10 servings

Difficulty: 1/5

Ingredients for cake:

250 g of carrots (4-5 carrots)

4 eggs

1/2 cup of oil

1 cup of sugar

2 cups of flour

1 tbsp of baking powder

Ingredients for topping:

1 cup of sugar

2 tbsp of cocoa powder (nesquik)

1 tbsp of butter

4 tbsp of milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and chop carrots into smaller pieces. This makes it easier for the food processor or blender to chop the carrots.

2. Add the eggs, oil, and sugar and blend together in food processor.

3. Add flour and blend together until combined.

4. Add baking powder and only mix until combined.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the cake mix in

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

7. For the topping: Mix sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk in a small pot on a stove on low heat. When the topping is done it will not stick to the bottom.

Tips and Tricks:

• Make sure to get all amounts exact. Being a little bit off can mess up the cake and makes it way too moist.

• To make sure the topping is done if you tilt the pot and it quickly runs down to the bottom it is good. For a crunchier topping leave it on the stove longer.

• Poke the top of the cake with a fork in a few places before pouring the topping. This allows some of the topping to seep into the cake.