Pão de Mel Recipe - Brazilian Honey Cakes
Moist and tender Brazilian honey cakes layered with creamy doce de leite and coated in smooth bittersweet chocolate. Warm spices like cinnamon and cloves mingle with rich brown sugar and honey for a cozy, irresistible flavor. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with coffee.
Servings 12 cakes
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 Cup Light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 cup Boiling water
- 2 ½ cups All purpose Flour unbleached
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Filling and Chocolate
- 30 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
- 15 ounces Dulce de Leche (dulce de leite)
Instructions
Bake Cakes
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Prepare the ramekins by spraying or rubbing them with vegetable oil and then dusting with flour.
- Mix the brown sugar and eggs until combined.
- Add the vegetable oil and honey, and mix.
- Sift in the cinnamon, ground clove, baking soda, and baking powder and mix.
- Add the hot water and mix. Sift in the flour and salt, then mix.
- Pour the batter into the ramekins. Bake on the center rack uncovered for 20-30 minutes. To test if they are done, place a toothpick into the center of one and if it comes out clean, they are done. You can start testing at about 18 minutes. Let the cakes cool.
Fill and Cover with Chocolate
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper to place the chocolate covered cakes on to set as they come out of the chocolate. Set aside.
- Once the cakes are cool, you can remove them from the ramekins. Gently use a knife to scrape along the inside of each ramekin for wherever the cake seems stuck. Then turn over and they should slip right out. Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half from the side, so you have a top and bottom. Using a spoon or butter knife, gently spread a layer of dolce de leche onto the bottom halves. Then place the top halves on top. Once all are filled, set aside.
- Tempering the Chocolate...Melt: Warm your chocolate gently using a double boiler or the microwave. Heat dark chocolate to about 115–120°F (46–49°C), or milk/white to about 105–110°F (40–43°C). Don’t let it burn!Seed: Remove from heat and stir in finely chopped chocolate (the “seeds”). Keep stirring until it melts and the temperature drops—88–90°F (31–32°C) for dark, or 86–88°F (30–31°C) for milk/white.Keep Stirring: Work with the chocolate while it stays in that range. If it starts to thicken, rewarm just a little.Test: Dip a knife or piece of parchment in. If it sets in 3–5 minutes with a glossy finish and a nice snap, it’s ready!(see the post for more explanation on this step)
- One at a time, gently dip the cakes into the chocolate. Use a spoon to scoop chocolate over top rather than tossing the cake around. Then, using two forks, transfer the cake to parchment paper lined sheet pan to set, about 5 minutes. Then individually wrap and gift or set out on a platter to serve!
