Brazilian Bolo de Cenoura, Carrot Cake with Chocolate Topping

📍 Where this dish comes from: Rio de Janeiro · Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar)
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Brazilian carrot cake is nothing like the spiced American kind. It is a bright orange, tender sponge made by blending raw carrots with eggs and oil, topped with a glossy chocolate brigadeiro glaze. It is the favorite afternoon cake with a cafezinho.

Per serving: 266 calories · 4.2 g net carbs · 7 g protein · 24 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Bolo de Cenoura, Carrot Cake with Chocolate Topping

Brazilian carrot cake is nothing like the spiced American kind. It is a bright orange, tender sponge made by blending raw carrots with eggs and oil, topped with a glossy chocolate brigadeiro glaze. It is the favorite afternoon cake with a cafezinho.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 266kcal

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil
• 2/3 cup allulose
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Topping: 1/2 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons allulose, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon butter

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Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease an 8-inch square pan and line the bottom with parchment.
• Blend the carrot, eggs, oil and allulose in a blender on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth and bright orange.
• Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the carrot mixture and fold together until smooth.
• Pour into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• For the topping, simmer the cream and allulose in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa and butter and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and slightly thick.
• Pour the warm topping over the cake and spread it to the edges. Let it set for 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Blend the carrots until there are no visible pieces at all; this is what gives the Brazilian cake its even orange color and fine crumb. Almond flour cakes are fragile while warm, so let it cool before cutting.

Chef's Tip: Poke holes all over the warm cake with a fork before pouring on the topping so some of the chocolate soaks in, just like a Brazilian bakery cake.

Keto Swap: Bolo de cenoura is made with wheat flour and plenty of sugar, and the topping with sugar or condensed milk. Almond and coconut flours replace the wheat, and allulose sweetens both the cake and the topping.

Success Tip: Bake it in a round pan for birthdays, or in a loaf pan for slices to pack in lunch boxes.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 3.5g

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About This Dish

Bolo de cenoura com cobertura de chocolate is one of the most popular homemade cakes in Brazil. Brazilian cooks usually make the batter in a blender. The cake is a fixture of the café da tarde, the afternoon coffee break. Unlike American carrot cake, it usually has no cinnamon, nuts or raisins. Bakeries across Brazil sell it by the slice.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 11: Desserts (Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar)). See all Brazilian recipes