This Brigadeiro cake recipe is a spinoff of our favorite sweet treat, the brigadeiro, and is considered by many a traditional Brazilian birthday cake. Ready to experience a one-of-a-kind Brazilian cake? You’ll love it!
Brigadeiro Cake
Calling all chocolate lovers! This Brazilian cake will be your next favorite dessert ever!
Brigadeiro is a small chocolate dessert from Brazil. There’s absolutely no birthday party without these delicious treats, as they are an intrinsic part of our culture and cuisine.
And because we love it so much, we always recreate other desserts with brigadeiro flavor, and this cake is one of them.
You can say this Brazilian cake is a spinoff of the traditional brigadeiro recipe, and once you have tasted it, you will understand all the hype about it.
This brigadeiro cake (bolo de brigadeiro in Portuguese) is very sweet, and it seriously tastes like a chocolate piece of heaven.
Texture-wise, it’s moist chocolate cake with fudgy and sticky parts because of the brigadeiro filling and frosting, but honestly, it’s nothing over the top. I absolutely LOVE it.
However, making this Brazilian cake is not an everyday task. It’s time-consuming and requires some level of experience in baking. If you’re a total newbie in the kitchen, you might want to start with another one, preferably not a layer cake.
That’s also why we usually only bake it on special occasions. Still, it’s the p-e-r-f-e-c-t Brazilian birthday cake! (Yay, parabéns = happy birthday in Brazilian Portuguese).
We don’t have a typical birthday cake, but this one meets all the requirements: creamy, delicious, with brigadeiro, and looks nice, lol.
If you’re throwing a Brazilian party for a loved one, this Brigadeiro cake recipe is a must to make this day more than memorable.
So plan ahead, gather the tools and ingredients, read this recipe before actually going to the kitchen, and you’ll be more than prepared to make it.
How to store the Brigadeiro cake?
You can store this Brigadeiro cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
Tips for making a perfect Brazilian cake
Make ahead! You can make the brigadeiro balls that go on top of the cake ahead of time (up to 3 days) and save yourself some time on the baking day.
A good pan! Be sure to use a non-stick pan to make the chocolate fudge balls to make your life much easier!
Sprinkle it up! Use high-quality chocolate sprinkles, or you’ll ruin the taste of your cake. You can use milk chocolate sprinkles without a problem. Still, my favorite, and that’s personal, it’s dark chocolate.
Level up! If the cake layers have domes, use a cake leveler to ensure they are flat. If you don’t have one, feel free to use a bread knife.
More Brazilian cakes you need to try
Brazilian Carrot Cake with Chocolate
Brazilian Orange Cake – an easy and delicious bundt cake
Are you throwing a Brazilian party? Then check out other Brazilian recipes you can’t miss at a party.
Brigadeiro – there is no party in the country without these sweet treats, trust me.
Beijinho (or any other brigadeiro variations)
Caipirinha (or any of our cocktails)
Sardine pate or dip
Dulce de leche pudding or mousse
What tools you will need
Three 8-inch round cake pans – I prefer the round cake shape
Ingredients explanation
Table cream (not to be confused with heavy cream) – it ensures the filling gets a rich and creamy texture.
Brown sugar (instead of granulated sugar) – brown sugar has a bit more flavor, unlike white sugar, which is purely sweet.
Unsalted butter (instead of salted) – it gives you more control of the overall flavor.
Unsweetened cocoa powder – I think the unsweetened version adds far more flavor than the sweetened one. Besides, the cake is already very sweet, so that is unnecessary.
How to make the Brigadeiro frosting and filling
Whisk the whole milk, cornstarch, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan to combine over medium heat.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, table cream, and unsalted butter, and cook until it becomes a thick pudding-like mixture–about 20 minutes.
Stir continuously with a spatula. Your pan must have at least 2 inches of free space on top because the mixture might expand as it cooks.
Once the mixture is done, pour it into a heat-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap—it should touch the brigadeiro mixture.
Let it cool for about one hour at room temperature. After that, transfer it to the fridge and let it get cold. It should take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Decoration
Once your Brazilian chocolate cake is ready, you will sprinkle it with chocolate sprinkles and place a few brigadeiros on top of it.
You can also make the brigadeiro balls ahead of time.
How to make the batter
Making the cake batter is straightforward, but you’ll need a big oven. If you don’t have it, use two cake pans and divide the batter accordingly.
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
Mix the sifted flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium glass bowl. Combine the ingredients and set aside.
Melt the unsalted butter in the microwave, then combine it with brown sugar and vegetable oil until creamy on medium speed using an electric mixer.
Add the vanilla extract and each egg separately until combined.
Lower the speed and add the milk. Once incorporated, add the flour mixture you prepared earlier in parts until the batter is mixed, making a smooth batter.
Turn off the standing mixer and slowly stir in the baking soda and baking powder into the mixture.
Divide the batter into the three cake pans, and bake them immediately for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
Once ready, let the cake pan cool down on a cooling rack for approximately 10 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on the rack.
Assembling the Brigadeiro cake
Place the bottom cake layer on a flat serving platter, cake board, or cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper or greased parchment paper circle to keep it clean while assembling the cake.
Spread evenly about a cup of the filling onto this layer.
Repeat it for the following two layers of cake. Once you’ve placed the third and last layer, spread more frosting smoothly, covering the top and sides of the brigadeiro cake.
Cover both the top and sides of the cake with chocolate sprinkles. Now, decorate this delicious cake with the brigadeiro balls.
Bom apetite!
Brigadeiro Cake Recipe (Brazilian Chocolate Cake)
Moist and fudgy, this Brigadeiro cake will be your favorite Brazilian birthday cake recipe. Seriously, it tastes like heaven!
Ingredients
Filling and frosting
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
- 2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 7.6-ounce can table cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil, I use sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Decoration
- 3 cups chocolate sprinkles
Instructions
You can make the brigadeiro balls to decorate before starting with the cake.
Filling and frosting:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the whole milk, cocoa powder, and cornstarch to combine.
- Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, table cream, and butter, and cook over medium heat until it becomes a thick pudding-like mixture--about 20 minutes.
- Stir continuously with a spatula. Your pan must have at least 2 inches of free space on top because the mixture might expand as it cooks.
- Once the mixture is done, pour it into a heat-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap---it should touch the brigadeiro mixture.
- Let it cool for 1 hour at room temperature. After that, transfer it to the fridge and let it get cold--1.5-2 hours.
Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease three 8-inch cake pans. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sifted flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Combine the ingredients and set aside.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, and oil in a standing mixer bowl until creamy on medium speed.
- Add the vanilla extract and each egg separately until combined.
- Lower the speed and add the milk. Once incorporated, add the dry ingredients you prepared earlier in parts until the batter is combined.
- Turn off the standing mixer and slowly stir in the baking soda and baking powder into the mixture.
- Divide the batter into the three cake pans, and bake them immediately after that for approximately 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake pan cool down on a cooling rack for approximately 10 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on the rack.
Assembling the brigadeiro cake:
- Place the bottom layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while assembling the cake.
- Spread evenly about a cup of the filling onto this layer.
- Repeat the previous step for the next two layers. Once you’ve placed the third and last layer, spread more frosting smoothly, covering the top and sides of the cake.
- Cover both the top and sides of the cake with chocolate sprinkles and decorate with the brigadeiro balls.
Bom apetite!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1160Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 369mgCarbohydrates: 157gFiber: 5gSugar: 112gProtein: 18g
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this Brigadeiro cake recipe. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section below. Oh, don’t forget to share this article with your friends!