A popular Brazilian dessert!
Chocolate-y, rich, dense, addictive, moist, fluffy, tastes like Brazilian childhood. I could write this whole post just by listing adjectives that describe these cakes! But, don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll get to all the details so you can recreate them exactly like mine. This recipe makes quite a lot – about 24 if you use the same size ramekins I used – but I figured it’d be okay, as most people will usually need a lot when making it for parties or to give as gifts. However, if you’re just making them because you are craving a chocolate snack, you can easily halve the recipe! I last made these in August, as party favors for my daughter’s bee themed birthday. To say they were a success is an understatement! One of the texts I got from a friend, read “What insaneness is this?”. Yes, they are a bit time consuming to make. But take it from a Brazilian: nothing says I love you like a homemade pão de mel!
What is Pão de Mel?
Pão de Mel is a popular Brazilian treat consisting of two layers of spiced chocolate and honey cake sandwiching a layer of filling (usually dulce de leche), often covered with chocolate. Despite the name, you don’t really taste honey in these treats. The chocolate and spices are pronounced, almost like in a chocolate gingerbread cookie! The dulce de leche and the chocolate coating take these cakes to the next level, making them rich, indulgent and absolutely delicious. The origins of these cakes are unknown, but there are two theories that make sense. The first claims that the Brazilian honey cakes are a spinoff of the Russian Pryaniki, a baked good made primarily from flour and honey. As the recipe passed among generations, it changed slightly according to the region, sometimes including other ingredients, like spices. The second theory believes that the pão de mel originated in Europe, when Europeans discovered that covering spiced cakes in chocolate would keep them flavorful and moist for longer. Russian or European, if you’re interested in Brazilian cuisine, Pão de Mel is a recipe you absolutely need to make!
Ingredients for Brazilian Honey Cakes
Here’s what you’ll need to make the spiced honey cakes:
Milk Spices – cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg Honey Eggs Salt Brown sugar Vanilla extract Vegetable oil All-purpose flour Cocoa powder – Dutch-process Baking powder Baking soda
You’ll also need dulce de leche for the filling and melted/tempered bittersweet chocolate to cover the cakes.
Equipment you’ll need:
Blender A large bowl Whisk Ramekins Thermometer, for tempering
How to Make Brazilian Honey Cakes
While not difficult and easy to follow, this recipe can be a labor of love, especially if you choose to temper the chocolate. Totally worth it, though! You will be making these again and again, to give as gifts or to eat as a snack! Let’s start:
Filling Suggestions for Pão de Mel
The most traditional are dulce de leche and brigadeiro. However, nowadays you can find fun versions, made with ingredients like coconut, strawberry, passion fruit, and many others. You can also skip the filling and just serve the cakes covered in chocolate.
How to Temper Chocolate
There are several ways to temper chocolate and I would probably have to write 2000+ words if I were going to cover them all. Instead, I am going to teach you the method I use, which happens to be the less messy one. But first things first…
Why do we temper chocolate?
Tempering chocolate is simply heating and cooling chocolate to stabilize it before using it to make candies and sweet treats. Tempered chocolate won’t easily melt on your fingers, snaps when you bite into it and looks smooth and glossy. Do you absolutely need to temper chocolate to cover Brazilian honey cake? No. But they will look infinitely better if you do!
The seeding method
In this method, we melt two thirds of the chocolate to a certain temperature and then use the remaining chocolate to bring the temperature down. Easy peasy right? Not so much. It is important to be precise so you don’t risk burning the chocolate and so you can keep the chocolate tempered while you work with it! I highly recommend investing in a kitchen thermometer, if you don’t already own one. Here are the steps. I am only covering milk and dark/bittersweet chocolate, as that’s what you would use to cover pão de mel. Make sure to keep checking the temperature while you work with the chocolate, as the temperature shouldn’t drop too much or the chocolate will start to solidify. If the temperature starts dropping, just pop the bowl back on top of the warm water to raise it back to the tempered temperature. Just remember that the temperature should never go above 90° F or you (and the chocolate) will lose your temper and have to start over again. Also, keep water far away from your chocolate, as it causes it to seize and separate!
Spiced Honey Cakes – A chocolate gift everyone will love!
Pães de mel make great edible gifts! You can give them as party favors (like I did for my toddler’s birthday party), hostess gifts, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and so many fun occasions. The spices in these treats make them great for the holidays! You can put them in cute treat boxes or wrap in specialty cellophane bags that you can find at your local craft store! For my daughter’s birthday, I stuck colorful straws in the center of the cakes, wrapped them in cello bags and decorated with bows and charming chalkboard stickers. They looked like giant lollipops and were a hit among the children and adults!
How long will Pão de Mel last?
These cakes, if covered in tempered chocolate, will last about 2 weeks if properly stored at room temperature and up to a month in the fridge! The freshest the better, though.
Can I freeze Brazilian Honey Cakes?
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months! When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
More Brazilian desserts:
Traditional BrigadeirosPudim (Brazilian Flan)Brigadeiro CakeManjar Branco (Coconut Flan)Papaya CreamStrawberry Tartlets (Tortinha de Morango)Brazilian Carrot Cake
Did you make my Brazilian Honey Cakes?
Make sure to post a photo on Instagram and tag me at @oliviascuisine! I’m always happy to see your creations.
Equipment - No ramekins? You can use two muffin tins instead.A kitchen thermometer is a must when tempering chocolate. You want to be precise with the temperatures.Temperature - If using milk chocolate, check the post for the tempering temperatures as they will be different.If the tempered chocolate temperature starts to drop, you can just set it over the saucepan with warm water and stir until it reaches the tempered temperature again. Don’t let the temperature go above 90° F or you will lose your temper and have to start over again. Never let any water come in contact with the chocolate, or the chocolate will seize and separate.Some people use a heating pad around the bottom and sides of the chocolate bowl, to make sure the temperature doesn’t drop too much. If you choose to do that, just make sure the temperature doesn’t go past 90 degrees F.You can test your temper by spreading a small amount of the tempered chocolate on a plate or the counter. If the chocolate harden and is shiny, the chocolate is tempered. If that doesn’t happen, repeat the tempering process.Leftover chocolate? You can let it harden and then cover and store at room temperature. Yo can re-temper it for up to 2 more times.Servings: This recipe makes 24 cakes if you use 4-ounce ramekins. The cakes are big and quite indulgent, so you could consider the serving size 1/2 cake, or even make them smaller.
4oz Ramekins Honey Dulce de Leche
