Sweet Crumb Kitchen · Brazilian classic · Made in the blender
Carrot Cake
with Brigadeiro Frosting
A fluffy, bright-orange crumb blended — not grated — and crowned with brigadeiro: Brazil's beloved fudgy chocolate frosting made with sweetened condensed milk. The recipe every Brazilian grandmother keeps by heart, explained step by step so it works on your first try.
Ingredients
Tap each item to check it off as you gather everything. One cup = 240 ml.
🥕 Carrot batter
- ✓3 medium carrots, peeled (about 300 g / 10 oz)
- ✓4 large eggs
- ✓1 cup vegetable oil
- ✓2 cups sugar
- ✓2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ✓1 tbsp baking powder
- ✓1 pinch of salt
🍫 Brigadeiro frosting
- ✓1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz / 395 g)
- ✓3 tbsp chocolate powder or cocoa powder
- ✓1 tbsp butter
- ✓to taste chocolate sprinkles, for topping
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Making the batter
The secret of Brazilian carrot cake: everything starts in the blender.
Preheat the oven & prep the pan
Preheat your oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Grease a 9×13-inch rectangular pan (or a bundt pan) with butter, dust it with flour, and tap out the excess.
⏱ 5 minBlend the wet ingredients
Cut the carrots into rounds and add them to the blender with the eggs and oil. Blend for 3 to 5 minutes until you get a completely smooth, vivid orange cream — no visible carrot bits.
⏱ 5 minFold in the dry ingredients
Pour the carrot cream into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Then sift in the flour a little at a time, folding gently with a whisk or spatula just until combined — overmixing makes the cake dense.
⏱ 3 minBaking powder goes in last
Add the baking powder and the pinch of salt, folding delicately just enough to incorporate. Stirring too much at this stage knocks the air out and the cake won't rise properly.
⏱ 1 minBake until golden
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. It's ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't open the oven during the first 25 minutes — sudden cold air makes the cake sink.
⏱ 40 minThe brigadeiro frosting
While the cake bakes, make the brigadeiro — a soft, fudgy chocolate frosting that spreads like a dream over the warm cake.
Combine everything in a saucepan
In a saucepan, add the condensed milk, the chocolate powder, and the butter. Give it a quick stir before turning on the heat so the chocolate doesn't clump.
⏱ 1 minCook low and slow, stirring constantly
Turn the heat to low and stir non-stop for about 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away slightly from the bottom of the pan. Don't overcook it — the brigadeiro should stay soft and spreadable, not firm.
⏱ 8 minSpread over the warm cake & add sprinkles
Pour the brigadeiro, still warm, over the cake and spread it with a spoon or spatula. Scatter chocolate sprinkles on top and let it cool before slicing — the frosting sets into a soft, fudgy layer that keeps the cake moist for days.
⏱ 2 minTips from people who've made every mistake for you
The little details that turn a good cake into an unforgettable one.
Cake turned out dense?
It's almost always old baking powder or overmixing after the flour goes in. Fold gently and check your baking powder's expiration date.
Vivid orange color
Choose firm, deeply orange carrots. Soft, pale carrots give you a washed-out cake with less flavor.
Classic glaze version
No condensed milk? Make the traditional glaze instead: 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 4 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp butter, and 4 tbsp milk, boiled for a few minutes and poured over the hot cake.
Storage
Keeps for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze unfrosted slices for up to 2 months.
Every oven has a personality
If yours tends to brown things fast, tent the cake with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Birthday version
Bake in two round pans, fill the layers with the brigadeiro, and cover with chocolate sprinkles. It becomes a party cake with just 10 extra minutes of work.