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If you think you know carrot cake, this Brazilian carrot cake is about to change everything. Forget the spiced, cream cheese-frosted American version you’re used to, this is bolo de cenoura, and it’s a completely different (and dare I say more fun?) dessert. The carrots are blended raw right into the batter with eggs, oil, and sugar, which gives this cake its signature bright orange color, incredibly moist crumb, and the easiest prep you’ll ever experience with a cake. Then you pour a glossy, fudgy brigadeiro-style chocolate glaze right over the top. It’s that simple. And it’s that good.
I’ve been wanting to travel to Brazil for the longest time. It’s been on my bucket list for years, and until I finally get there, I’ve been having so much fun recreating some of the most iconic Brazilian recipes at home. If you tried my Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo), you already know that Brazilian food just hits different. This carrot cake was the natural next recipe to tackle, and honestly? I think it might be even more addictive than the cheese bread. I said what I said!
Quick Look: Brazilian Carrot Cake
- 🥕 What it is: Bolo de cenoura, a bright orange Brazilian blender cake topped with a brigadeiro-style chocolate glaze.
- ⭐ Why it works: Blending raw carrots with the eggs and oil gives a moist, fluffy crumb and that vivid color.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: No grating and no spices; the blender does almost all the work.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Blend until there are zero carrot pieces, or the cake turns dense.
- 🍳 Pan notes: Made in a 9×13 pan; a 9×9 or a bundt pan also works with a longer bake.
- ❄️ Make ahead: Freeze the unglazed cake up to 2 months, then glaze fresh before serving.
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Brazilian Carrot Cake
- What Is Brazilian Carrot Cake?
- Why This Recipe Works
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Brazilian Carrot Cake
- Expert Tips
- Brazilian Carrot Cake vs. American Carrot Cake
- Substitutions and Variations
- Brazilian Carrot Cake FAQs
- More Carrot Cake and Brazilian Recipes
- Brazilian Carrot Cake (Bolo de Cenoura) with Chocolate Glaze Recipe
What Is Brazilian Carrot Cake?
Brazilian carrot cake, or bolo de cenoura, is one of Brazil’s most popular everyday cakes. It’s the kind of cake Brazilian families make on a random Tuesday afternoon to have with coffee, it’s not a fancy, occasion-only dessert. And that’s part of what makes it so special.
Unlike American carrot cake, it has no spices, raisins, nuts, or cream cheese frosting. Instead, you puree raw carrots in a blender with the wet ingredients until completely smooth, then fold them into the dry ingredients. That’s it. The result is this stunning, vibrant orange cake that’s fluffy, moist, and barely tastes like carrots at all, the carrots act more like a natural sweetener and give the cake its unbelievable color and moisture.
It’s part of a whole tradition of Brazilian blender cakes (bolos de liquidificador), cakes made almost entirely in the blender, which makes them some of the easiest baked goods you’ll ever make. If you love Latin American cakes, my tres leches cake is another one you need in your life.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a blender cake – No grating carrots by hand! You literally throw everything into the blender and press go. It doesn’t get easier than that.
- Incredibly moist and fluffy – The pureed carrots give this cake a texture that’s almost impossible to mess up. It stays soft and moist for days.
- That chocolate glaze though – A brigadeiro-style chocolate glaze made with condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and dark chocolate chips. It’s pourable, fudgy, and absolutely addictive.
- Perfect for sharing – Made in a 9×13 pan so it feeds a crowd. Great for potlucks, barbecues, just having around the house, or next to the rest of my Easter desserts.
- Simple pantry ingredients – Carrots, eggs, oil, sugar, flour, baking powder. That’s the whole cake. The glaze uses condensed milk, cocoa, butter, evaporated milk, and chocolate chips.
Brazilian food has been living in my head rent-free lately, and this carrot cake is the recipe that started the whole obsession. The second I saw someone make it in a blender and pour chocolate on top, I knew I had to make it immediately. If you have a Brazilian recipe you think I should try next, drop it in the comments because I am ALL in on this series!
Key Ingredients
For the Cake
- Carrots: 3 medium carrots (about 10–11 oz), peeled and roughly chopped. You don’t need to grate them, the blender does all the work! Peel them for the brightest orange color.
- Eggs: 4 large eggs at room temperature. They help bind the batter and the blender incorporates a lot of air into them, which is what gives the cake its lift.
- Vegetable oil: 1 cup. This is an oil cake (not butter), which is traditional for bolo de cenoura and keeps it incredibly moist. Any neutral oil works, canola or sunflower are great too.
- Granulated sugar: 2 cups. This is standard for Brazilian carrot cake. The sweetness is balanced by the earthy carrots and the rich chocolate glaze on top.
- All-purpose flour: 2½ cups. Spoon and level your flour for the best results, scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much and make the cake dense.
- Baking powder: 1 tablespoon. This gives this cake just enough rise.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon. Just to balance the sweetness.
For the Chocolate Glaze
- Sweetened condensed milk: 1 can (14 oz). This is the base of the brigadeiro-style glaze and gives it that signature rich, caramelly sweetness.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: 3 tablespoons. Use a good quality cocoa for the best chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted butter: 2 tablespoons. Adds richness and helps the glaze set with more body.
- Evaporated milk: ⅓ cup. This is closer to the traditional Brazilian creme de leite than heavy cream and gives the glaze that perfect pourable-but-not-too-thin consistency.
- Dark chocolate chips: ⅓ cup. Stirred in at the very end off the heat for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
How to Make Brazilian Carrot Cake
- Load the blender. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 inch pan. Add the chopped carrots, eggs, oil and sugar to your blender.
- Blend until smooth. Blend on high for about 60 seconds, until there are zero visible carrot pieces. The batter will be bright orange and slightly frothy.
- Fold into the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, pour in the blender mixture and fold just until combined. Don’t overmix, the batter should be smooth and pourable.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Start the glaze. While the cake bakes, cook the condensed milk, cocoa powder and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Finish the glaze. Stir in the evaporated milk, lower the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon. Take it off the heat and stir in the dark chocolate chips until glossy.
- Cool briefly. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You want it warm, not super hot, so the glaze soaks in slightly without melting right through.
- Glaze and slice. Pour the glaze over the warm cake, spread it to the edges and let it cool completely before slicing. The glaze sets into a glossy, fudgy layer that’s absolutely irresistible.
Expert Tips
- Blend the carrots really well. Any visible carrot pieces will weigh down the batter and make the cake dense instead of fluffy. Blend until completely smooth, I’m talking no chunks whatsoever.
- Don’t overmix the batter. The blender incorporates a lot of air into the wet mixture, which is what gives the cake its amazing lift. Fold the dry ingredients in gently to keep all that air in there.
- Spoon and level your flour. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much flour and can make the cake heavy. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level off with a knife or just weigh it with a kitchen scale.
- Stir the glaze constantly. Condensed milk burns fast! Keep it moving on the stove and don’t walk away. The whole glaze comes together in under 10 minutes but definitely needs some elbow grease!
- Pour the glaze while the cake is still warm. Not hot, not room temp, warm. This lets the glaze soak into the top layer slightly while still setting up glossy on top. That’s the signature look!
- Adjust the glaze to your liking. For a thicker glaze, simmer it a little longer after adding the evaporated milk. For a thinner, more traditional glaze, stir in a splash more evaporated milk.
Brazilian Carrot Cake vs. American Carrot Cake
People always ask me about this, so let me break it down! American carrot cake has grated carrot shreds in the batter, warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, often includes nuts, raisins, or pineapple, and is frosted with thick cream cheese frosting. It’s usually beige or brown in color, like my carrot cake loaf.
Brazilian carrot cake is a completely different dessert. The carrots are pureed until smooth (not grated), there are zero spices, no add-ins, and the cake is a vibrant orange color. Instead of cream cheese frosting, it’s topped with a thin, glossy chocolate glaze, which is really a brigadeiro-style sauce made with condensed milk and cocoa. The texture is lighter and fluffier, and it’s so much easier to make since the blender does most of the work.
Both are delicious in their own way, but if you’ve never tried the Brazilian version, you need to! It’s a whole different experience. And if you’re a carrot cake fan in every form, my Crumbl carrot cake cookies and carrot cake cinnamon rolls are waiting for you.
Substitutions and Variations
- Evaporated milk: You can swap it for heavy cream, half and half, or media crema. Media crema is actually the closest to the traditional Brazilian creme de leite.
- Oil: Any neutral oil works, vegetable, canola, sunflower, or even light olive oil. Don’t use coconut oil as it can solidify and change the texture.
- Cocoa powder: You can use Dutch-process or natural unsweetened cocoa. Dutch-process will give a slightly deeper, smoother chocolate flavor.
- Dark chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips work great too if you want a slightly sweeter glaze. You could also chop a chocolate bar instead, or go a different direction with a drizzle of white chocolate ganache.
- Pan size: This recipe is written for a 9×13 pan, but you can use a 9×9 for a thicker cake, just add 5–10 minutes to the bake time and keep an eye on it.
Brazilian Carrot Cake FAQs
Brazilian carrot cake is best at room temperature the day it’s made, but it keeps covered tightly at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days (let it come back to room temperature before serving). You can also freeze the unglazed cake, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and add fresh glaze when you’re ready to serve.
Dense Brazilian carrot cake usually means the carrots weren’t blended smooth enough (carrot pieces weigh down the batter), or the batter was overmixed after adding the flour. Blend the carrots until silky smooth and fold in the dry ingredients gently.
Yes! A bundt pan is a very traditional shape for Brazilian carrot cake. Grease it really well, use 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes. The glaze poured over a bundt looks absolutely stunning.
You can, but regular full-size carrots give Brazilian carrot cake a better color and more natural sweetness. If you use baby carrots, measure them by weight (10 to 11 oz) rather than by count.
Brazilian carrot cake is called bolo de cenoura, which literally means carrot cake in Portuguese (bolo is cake, cenoura is carrot). It’s one of the most beloved everyday cakes in Brazil.
More Carrot Cake and Brazilian Recipes
If you made this Brazilian carrot cake, I want to know if it beat the cheese bread for you too! Leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below, and tell me which Brazilian recipe I should make next. Obrigada!!
Brazilian Carrot Cake (Bolo de Cenoura) with Chocolate Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped (about 10-11 oz)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk one 14 oz can
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cups evaporated milk
- 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
- chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and set aside.
- Add in the carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 10-11 oz), 4 pieces large eggs, 1 cups vegetable oil, and 2 cups granulated sugar to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth with no visible carrot pieces, about 60 seconds. The mixture will be bright orange and slightly frothy.3 medium carrots, 4 large eggs, 1 cups vegetable oil, 2 cups granulated sugar
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pour the blender mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold everything together until just combined, don't overmix. The batter will be thin and pourable.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes (or cools slightly), combine 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (one 14 oz can), unsweetened cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth, bubbling gently, and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Stir in evaporated milk and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue simmering and stirring for another 2-3 minutes until the glaze thickens back up and coats the back of a spoon.1/3 cups evaporated milk
- Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately stir in dark chocolate chips until completely melted and the glaze is glossy and smooth.1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You want it still warm but not screaming hot, this helps the glaze soak in slightly without melting right through.
- Pour the warm chocolate glaze evenly over the warm cake, using a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges, top with chocolate sprinkles. Let the cake cool completely before slicing, the glaze will set into a glossy, fudgy layer.chocolate sprinkles
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello! Thanks for posting this. A question: do you think this would hold up as a layer cake? Is it too soft?? I’d love to make it for my son’s bday party this October, but we love the look of a layer birthday cake and were wondering if you had any thoughts about the feasibility?? I’ll report back once I do my trial run as well!
Thank you!
It’s a soft, moist cake but should hold up in two 9-inch rounds. Use a thicker chocolate frosting between the layers since the glaze is pourable. Would love to hear how your trial run goes!
I really want to try it but I see no metric measurements. You used to have both in the past.
Hi Chris!! Sorry about that!! I have those up for ya 🙂
Yummy! I made a rookie mistake and put all the cake ingredients in the blender, but it still turned out perfectly moist and tender.
Super Recipe! Thank you ❤
Love when little mishaps like that still yield a delicious cake! Glad you enjoyed it Teresa 🙂