Savor the Flavors: Brazilian Honey Cakes (Pão de Mel) Made Easy

Ingredients:

FOR THE HONEY CAKES:

- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
-1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
-1 cup honey
-5 eggs
-1 1/2 cups brown sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2/3 cup vegetable oil
-1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-3 cups all-purpose flour

FOR THE DULCE DE LECHE FILLING:

-1 1/2 cups dulce de leche

FOR COVERING WITH CHOCOLATE:

- About 30 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and dust 24 4-ounce ramekins with cocoa powder. Reserve.
- Combine the milk, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Heat it, over medium heat, until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and add the honey, stirring until the honey has dissolved. The milk fats might separate, that is ok. Cover and reserve until cooled to room temperature.
- Once the infused milk has cooled, transfer to the jar of a blender and add the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt and vegetable oil. Blend until well combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture into a large bowl. Start adding the dry ingredients, sifting them into the bowl with the aid of a fine mesh sieve. Start with the cocoa powder, followed by baking soda, baking powder and flour. Whisk to combine, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Place them in baking sheets and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
When cakes are done, remove from oven and let them cool. Then, run a butter knife along the circumference and unmold the cakes.
- Using a serrated knife, cut each cake in half. Spread about 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche in the cut side of one of the halves. Top with the second half, creating a sandwich. Repeat with all the cakes. Reserve.


- Temper the chocolate: Place two-thirds of the chopped chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler or in a large bowl set over a smaller saucepan filled with barely simmering water. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and it reaches a temperature of 118°F (see notes). Remove from the double boiler and add the remaining chocolate, stirring until dissolved and cooled to a temperature of 88 – 89° F. - That could take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. - The chocolate is now tempered and ready to use.
- Dip each cake into the tempered chocolate, with the aid of two forks, and set them into parchment paper to set.
- Once set, enjoy right away or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks, in the fridge for up to one month or freeze for up to 3 months.


Notes

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.

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