Brigadeiro Cake Recipe: Moist & Fudgy

Brigadeiro cake is a traditional Brazilian birthday cake, inspired by the famous brigadeiro recipe (or chocolate fudge balls) and brigadeirao. It consists of a 3-layer moist chocolate cake with an ooey-gooey chocolate fudgy filling and frosting that tastes like the best thing you’ll ever have. Chocolate sprinkles top the cake to give it a fun touch. This is THE CAKE to celebrate any special occasion all year round, not only birthdays… and of course, very much to satisfy cravings.

Celebrating a birthday or any other special occasion?

This brigadeiro cake recipe not only fits the bill but will exceed all expectations. I ain’t kidding! ALERT: This is no ordinary chocolate cake.

This is the best cake you’ll put in your mouth. Why?

It is simply the most decadent chocolate cake you will ever have. The cake is moist and both the filling and frosting are sweet and super fudgy.

Temptation is written all over it… and happiness too!

That's the reason why it is so popular in Brazil, where is known as Bolo de Brigadeiro or Bolo Brigadeiro.

But you don’t need to wait for your birthday to have it. Get the recipe now and party like you need no special reason to be happy. That’s my philosophy!

Are you ready to try the best cake ever? 😉

Brigadeiro Cake Recipe vs. Chocolate Cake

Not all chocolate cakes are made equal. There are 2 basic differences between the Brazilian chocolate cake and most chocolate cakes:

1. FLAVOR: The authentic brigadeiro cake is sweeter because it’s made with milk chocolate – although you can replace it with other types of chocolate such as dark or bittersweet. But it is less chocolatey than a devil’s food cake.
2. TEXTURE: Both the filling and frosting are super fudgy because it’s made with similar ingredients as a modern chocolate fudge such as sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder, among others. That results in a sticky, ooey-gooey filling/topping and a cake that weights more than others. In contrast, most American chocolate cakes use chocolate buttercream which contains more fat and less sugar, and is overall lighter yet less decadent.

Cake Shapes

This cake comes in different shapes because you can make it as a bundt cake, a layered cake like ours, or as a sheet cake. It’s up to you… and the occasion that you are celebrating!

Brigadeiro Cake Filling and Frosting

What makes it a brigadeiro cake? HINT: the brigadeiro filling and frosting!

Unlike the basic brigadeiro recipe that needs to be firm to roll into balls, the filling and frosting of a brigadeiro cake need to be spreadable, smooth, and creamy. That's the reason why a fat component (heavy cream) is added to the mixture as well as corn starch to stabilize it, making it ideal for decorating and piping, including brigadeiro cupcakes.

Some recipes use the exact same 'dough' of brigadeiro balls as a frosting or filling, but that is a huge mistake in my opinion. This is because to make it more spreadable you would have to frost the cake while the brigadeiro is still hot (because once it cools it is so sticky that will tear up big chunks or crumbs of the cake as you spread it).

On the other hand, if you use our recipe you won’t have that problem!

The best way to either fill or frost a cake -- or to pipe nice swirls, the brigadeiro mixture needs to be silky and spreadable. To achieve that, it will require the following ingredients:

• Sweetened condensed milk: this is the main ingredient for a brigadeiro frosting! Like any fudge, it requires dairy and sugar which are the components of sweetened condensed milk.
• Cocoa powder: Nescau is the preferred chocolate powder used in Brazil but you can use any cocoa powder especially that is ideal for baking. I usually use Hershey’s 100% unsweetened cocoa powder, which contains no sugar and is balanced by the sweetness of the condensed milk, resulting a bittersweet flavor.
• Unsalted butter: this ensures all the sugars from the sweetened condensed milk won’t crystallize as it cooks.
• Heavy whipping cream: this adds a rich and creamy texture to our brigadeiro cake filling/frosting recipe, making it spreadable. In Brazil, creme de leite, also known as media crema or table cream in the U.S, is the canned version of fresh heavy cream. If choosing table cream, make sure to use only that thick cream on top. So once you open the can, do not mix the thin liquid at the bottom with the thick cream on top. The best way to separate them is to put the can in the freezer for about 10 minutes to help firm up the cream and then scoop the fatty top into the pan that you will cook the mixture in. You can use any of those but I prefer fresh cream for its flavor. 
• Corn starch: this is what helps stabilize the brigadeiro mixture, allowing it to hold its shape when piping.

But the SECRET to a Silky Brigadeiro Filling and Frosting is its pudding-like consistency. That means it is creamy and spreadable yet firm enough to hold its shape once it cools. You can do a test by spreading a small amount with a spatula on the side of the cake.

If it spreads easily but doesn’t run down, then you won’t have any issue when frosting the cake.

To achieve the proper texture without burning the mixture, do the following:

1. Cook the mixture in a no-stick pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. If you use a wider pan it will cook faster but in any case please don’t rush the process!
2. If you can, use a culinary thermometer to check if the mixture reached a 195-200 degrees F.
3. Because the mixture will be quite hot, please be careful when mixing and handling. When it starts to boil, it may splatter all over. That means it is time to move the pan off the heat-- but keep stirring always. When it stops spluttering, bring the pan back to the heat and cook until you reach the needed consistency or temperature.

Once cooked, pour the brigadeiro filling/frosting into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure to press the wrap down to touch the mixture as you would do for pastry cream.

This will avoid creating a distinct layer at the top of your brigadeiro mixture.

Let come to room temp (about 1-2 hours) and then chill in the fridge until cold, about 1-2 hours.

How to Make Brigadeiro Cake (Bolo de Brigadeiro)

1. Prepare the Brigadeiro Filling and Frosting:

• Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, and the corn starch in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into a no-stick wide saucepan.
• Then, mix in the heavy cream and butter. It is crucial that your pan has at least 2 inches of free space on top, allowing the mixture to expand as it cooks.
• Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring always with a wooden spoon while scraping the sides of the pan down.
• The mixture has to reach a thick, pudding-like consistency, or 195-200 degrees F. It takes about 15-18 minutes.
• Pour the hot brigadeiro mixture into a heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap (plastic has to touch the top of the mixture, which helps to NOT create a “crust”), and let it cool at room temp for about 1-2 hours or until cool to the touch.
• Place in the fridge to chill for at least 1-2 hours

2. Meanwhile, make the cake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans, line the bottom of each with parchment paper, spray/grease again and reserve.

• Mix in the dry ingredients: sifted flour, the cocoa powder, the baking powder, and the baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer (with a paddle attachment), whisk in the oil, butter, and sugar just until creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed just until combined. Do not overmix! Scrape the sides of the bowl when needed.
• Next, using low speed, add the dry ingredient mixture to the egg-oil mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk.
• You must begin and end with flour (it will be 3 additions of flour and 2 of milk) until the cake batter is fully combined.
• Divide the batter equally into the 3 greased pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly crumbly, about 30-35 minutes.
• Place the cake pans onto a rack and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Next, unmold cakes onto serving plates and let them cool on the rack. Then level them (see how-to below). SEE PIC. 1

3. Assemble the brigadeiro cake:

• Spread a little bit of the chilled brigadeiro filling/frosting onto a cake stand or platter where the cake will sit on.
• Then, place one cake layer flat side up. Spread about 1 cup of the brigadeiro filling onto the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top, flat side up, and spread another cup of brigadeiro filing over the second layer. SEE PIC. 2
• Place the third cake layer, flat side up, and then evenly spread the remaining brigadeiro mixture-- but this time both on top of the cake and on the sides of the layered cake.
• To avoid a mess, place the cake stand or platter into a large baking sheet and decorate with sprinkles by pressing them on the sides of the cake an,d if desired, on top as well.
• The sprinkles will fall into the baking sheet and you can pick them up and use them to decorate the cake.
• If you would like to, you may garnish the top of the cake with brigadeiros (chocolate fudge balls). SEE PIC. 3
• You can also pipe the frosting instead, decorating in different ways.
• If you don’t want to use brigadeiros on top, you may use fresh strawberries or chocolate-covered strawberries.

But the truth is, brigadeiro balls are the usual garnish for this cake. They also adorn the top of our brigadeiro tart and their 'dough' fills our brigadeiro cookies.

This cake can be included among one of those easy Brazilian recipes that you must try! It's a hit across Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro.

How to Level Cake Layers

If your cakes have a dome shape, you can trim the domed part off with a bread/serrated knife, or with a cake leveler.

Then using a brush, make sure to brush off the crumbs before filling and frosting your Brazilian birthday cake!

Your cake layers MUST be even and straight!

Make-Ahead and Storage:

Store brigadeiro cake covered at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days.

It’s better to freeze the baked cake layers individually (wrap each with parchment paper and then with more than one layer of plastic wrap) for up to 3 months.

Let come to room temp before filling and frosting. Do not freeze the frosting because that will alter its creamy texture!

More Brazilian Cakes that You’ll Love:

• Brazilian Carrot Cake
• Passion Fruit Cake
• Nega Maluca
• Chocolate Cake Roll

Other Brazilian Party Recipes to Try:

• Brazilian cheese bread
• Coxinha de frango (Brazilian chicken fritters)
• Cod Cakes
• Beijinhos (Coconut kisses)
• Camafeu de Nozes (Walnut brigadeiros)
• Batida de Coco (Brazilian Coconut Cocktail)
• Quindim
• Caipirinha Recipe

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