A glorious gluten-free option

Brigadeiro-based desserts seem as prominent in Brazil as mochi is in Hawaii. People can’t get enough of it, and I see why. The soft, fudgy truffle has a base of condensed milk and is rolled in sprinkles. A various assortment can be seen at holiday and birthday parties, but are lovely for any kind of dessert occasion. Strawberry, vanilla and lilikoi are popular, but the most classic is the chocolate, which is often made with Nesquick chocolate milk powder. This brigadeiro can also be made into a frosting or filling for cakes. This is my favorite variation. It doesn’t have an intense chocolate flavor, but the texture pairs well with cake. It’s also not a stiff, plaster kind of frosting from which you can build a structure, so it’s best for a single-tiered cake.

My friend has shared a Brazilian carrot cake with me a few times, typically made into a bundt and dripping with brigadeiro frosting. When I looked up the recipe, I was feeling a bit lazy, so I was excited to see that all that is required for mixing is a blender. This carrot cake isn’t like the kind you typically see in the U.S. There are no shreds detected and no reason to think that this is a dessert made with vegetables. I think the carrots are for color and to add a little sweetness. Since the typical carrot cake is just a vessel for cream cheese frosting, I love that this Brazilian-style carrot cake is a vessel for brigadeiro frosting. The blender purées the raw carrots and makes the whole preparation so easy. It’s odd, really, because cakes often ask you to be gentle with the final stir, even reverting to folding until “just” mixed. I assumed that the blender method would lend itself to a tougher cake, but since I converted the recipe to be gluten-free, it wasn’t a concern.

I’ve been eating less gluten for my own health reasons, and I have a few friends who have an allergy. I haven’t been entirely impressed with most gluten-free cakes — they’re either dry, have a sandy crumb, or don’t rise the way I would expect. This cake has an almost mochi-like texture that holds up to the thick frosting. I cut it in pieces to maximize the surface area for which the frosting could cling.

Sprinkles are optional, but I think it’s a little boring without them. Why not keep it festive?

Gluten-free Brazilian Carrot Cake with Brigadeiro Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup palm sugar (sub brown sugar if you like)

• 1 cup white sugar

• 3 eggs

• Approximately 1 1/2 cup peeled and cut carrots (doesn’t need to be small)

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 baking flour)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for frosting:

• 1/3 cup chocolate milk powder (Nesquick is traditionally used, but not certified gluten free. You can use baking cocoa and skip the chocolate chips, too.)

• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/3 cup table cream (canned)

• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-by-9 pan with parchment paper. This will also fit into a 9-by-12 baking pan but it will be thinner and cook more quickly.

Put the sugar, eggs and carrots into a blender. Blend on high speed until the carrots are completely puréed.

Add the flours, salt and baking powder, blending again until mixed.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, checking for doneness after 40 minutes.

Let cool completely before frosting. If you like, cut the cake into pieces before frosting so that the frosting can also cover some of the sides.

To make frosting:

Sift the chocolate milk powder if needed. Combine the chocolate milk powder, dark chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk regularly until the mixture is bubbling/simmering. Switch over to a spatula for stirring.

Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture has thickened and you can see a portion of the bottom of the pan when stirring. Turn the heat down if your stove is electric and runs hot. This should take at least 10 minutes. I found that my frosting had some clumps, so I blended it to get rid of this.

Add the table cream after it is done cooking to thin the fudge to a frosting consistency. You should add a tablespoon at a time to determine how you prefer it. Let it cool and then top the cake with the frosting. Add sprinkles if desired. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

Mariko Jackson writes about family and food. Email her at thelittlefoodie@gmail.com.