Today is my birthday, and despite being far from family and friends, I couldn’t let it go unnoticed, so I made a cocoa cake with chocolate brigadeiro and chocolate ganache – 😅 – to satisfy my craving for a chocolatey cake.
I considered various different flavors for this year, but I think chocolate brigadeiro is something that takes me to a warm place in my heart. It has a taste of childhood, home and nostalgia.
I wanted to make a cake to eat chilled. That comes straight from the fridge in the perfect condition. In other words, it’s not a cake to stay on the table for hours, because of the filling and frosting. But it’s possible to adapt it to stay firm even outside the fridge. I’ll talk about that below.
The batter
Although I love buttery batter, it’s not a batter to eat chilled, and it’s a batter that is better when eaten fresh. When we make a layered cake, we need to put it in the fridge so that it doesn’t collapse, and therefore, for my taste, I prefer oil-based batters in this case.
I made a batter based on the one I used in my pastry production, but I wanted to give it a more potent flavor and a light coffee taste. It is naturally moist, so I didn’t moisten it with any syrup.
Like most batters I make, this one is super simple: mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, then combine the two and mix with a whisk. Nothing simpler than that!
For this batter, I used homemade buttermilk: a mixture of milk with vinegar. This is always first, to allow the milk to curdle before it’s added to the rest of the wet ingredients.
To make the batter, start by preheating the oven to 180°C and greasing the pans you will use. I used 3 pans with a 15cm diameter. To make a larger cake, you will need to multiply this amount. For 3 pans with an 18cm diameter, multiply by 1.7, and for 3 pans with a 21cm diameter, multiply by 2.7. Always using the original recipe as a base for calculation.
So, after greasing the pans, make the buttermilk in a cup and set it aside. Then, heat water and dissolve the instant coffee or use the same amount of espresso or very strong brewed coffee.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and coffee and mix.
In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix.
Place the dry ingredients over the liquids, mix, and then divide into 3 pans.
Bake until the toothpick test comes out clean, for approximately 30 minutes. If you do it all in one pan, the baking time will be longer, but it will work the same.
The filling
Well, there’s no secret to making brigadeiro. I like to make it with 55% chocolate bar, condensed milk, and heavy cream, which can be replaced with boxed, canned, or whipped cream.
Mix everything together on a pan to cook over low heat, stirring constantly. The point for filling is when you take a little with a spoon, throw it over itself, and it keeps the shape of where it fell. As in the photo below.
If you let it sit for too long, the result will be a hard brigadeiro that won’t make a soft slice. If your brigadeiro becomes too firm after it’s done, add a little more cream until it becomes smooth.
Put the brigadeiro in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it cool for at least 5/6 hours. Use it to fill with it at room temperature. This way, it will be soft enough to fill and spread using a spoon.
The frosting
The frosting is a simple ganache. I used a ratio that is perfect for serving chilled, without becoming too firm. If you intend to keep your cake out of the fridge for a longer time, use a ratio of 1.5 chocolate to 1 cream. Example: 150g of chocolate to 100g of cream.
It’s also worth noting that I’m using 55% cocoa chocolate. The higher the cocoa percentage, the firmer the final result of your ganache. Pay attention to this!
To make the ganache, just heat the cream in a saucepan or microwave, along with the honey. It doesn’t need to boil, just heat it to about 50°C. Then turn it off and add the chopped chocolate. Wait for about 4 minutes and stir well with a spatula, making circular movements, until it becomes homogeneous.
Put it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and wait at least 6 hours to use. It must be used at room temperature.
Assembling
Assembling is easier than it looks! Start by dropping a little frosting or filling on the bottom of the plate you will serve it on. This will “stick” the cake to the plate.
Place the bottom cake and half of the brigadeiro filling. Spread well, without reaching the edges. When you put the next layer on top, it will push the filling to all sides.
Repeat the process once more, and then add the third layer of cake and take it to the fridge. This will make the layers firmer.
After 1 hour in the fridge, spread a thin first layer of ganache on the cake with a knife or spoon. This layer will bring more firmness and will also contain all the crumbs that may fall from the sides of the cake and create an ugly frosting. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
In spoonfuls, cover the entire cake with the remaining ganache, making back and forth movements, forming waves in the frosting.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I hope you like it! If you make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @casacaroba.
