Pão de Mel (Brazilian Honey Cakes)
User Reviews
5
Pão de Mel (Brazilian Honey Cakes)
Description
The batter is made by heating milk with aromatic spices and honey until just boiling, then letting it steep to infuse flavor. This mixture is blended with eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil before being combined with sifted cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. The batter is portioned into greased and coated muffin tins and baked until a toothpick comes out clean, producing tender honey cakes with spiced undertones.
Once cooled, the cakes are often sliced in half and filled with dulce de leche, then coated in melted bittersweet chocolate optionally thinned with vegetable oil for smoothness. The final treat balances sweetness with warm spices and a rich chocolate finish.
These honey cakes keep about seven days at room temperature if covered, longer in the fridge, and can be frozen unfrosted for up to three months. Frozen cakes should be thawed and filled before applying the chocolate coating, making them convenient for advance preparation or gifting.
Ingredients
For the pão de mel batter:
- ¾ cup milk whole
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional
- ½ cup honey
- 2 egg large
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract pure
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoon baking cocoa powder unsweetened preferably (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda sifted
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
For the filling:
- 1 dulce de leche 13.4 oz, canned
For the topping:
- 4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Grease and coat with cocoa powder or flour a mini or standard-size muffin tin. Reserve!
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the milk, spices, and honey and let come to a quick boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10-20 minutes.
- When the milk mixture is warm, pour into a blender and blend with eggs and yolk, brown sugar, vanilla, and oil just until homogeneous, about 15-20 seconds.
- Mix sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and flour in a large bowl. Pour blended liquid mixture into the bowl and whisk just until homogeneous.
- Spoon batter evenly into the muffin tin (halfway full) and bake on the middle rack for about 10-12 minutes (mini ) or 18-20 minutes (standard) – or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Slide a knife around the edges to loosen the bread loaves and invert them onto a large flat platter or a clean baking sheet while they are still hot. Make sure their puffy tops are upside down.
- Place another baking sheet on top of all of them and then something heavy, such as a cast-iron skillet. This simple technique will help to flatten their puffy tops. It works best while they are still hot.
- Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes. Then cut each in half horizontally.
- Spread or pipe dulce de leche onto one of the halves and sandwich them like whoopie pies.
- Place chocolate in a large bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted (about 1 ½-2 minutes). Stir until smooth. If needed, stir in 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent melted chocolate from hardening quickly.
- Place each pão de mel on a fork and bathe in the melted chocolate. Smooth top and sides. Place on a rack with a baking sheet underneath or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let excess chocolate drain off of each cake. Let the chocolate set in the fridge for about 3-5 minutes.
- Using a paring knife, trim excess hardened chocolate from the bottom edges. Either serve as is or decorate each pão de mel as desired. I drizzled mine with melted white chocolate and topped them with sprinkles.
Notes
- This recipe yields 24 mini or 12 standard honey cakes per batch.
- Chocolate-coated cakes last approximately 7 days at room temperature when covered, or 2-3 weeks refrigerated.
- To freeze, leave cakes unfilled and uncoated; wrap individually in parchment and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen cakes in the fridge, bring to room temperature before slicing, filling with dulce de leche, and coating with chocolate.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12standard
Amount Per Serving
Calories 564 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 564kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 73g | 24% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 24g | 120% |
| Cholesterol | 46mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 140mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 494mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 46g | 92% |
| Vitamin A | 92IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 232mg | 23% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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