“Wow, she resisted saying, as she gazed around at the lavish furnishings, the sweeping floor-to-ceiling curtains, the pristine white bed the size of an acre, the TV the size of a small cinema, the champagne on ice, the silver tray full of ‘Brazilian honey cakes’ as the card informed them.” ~ The Midnight Library

Brazilian Honey Cakes, or Pao de Mel, are traditional spice cakes that are usually served around Christmas time in Brazil. Sweetened with honey, the cake includes warm spices nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. These little cakes are quite delicious and pair perfectly with a cup of tea.

Pao De Mel

Ingredients:

1 egg

250mL milk

90 g  sugar

270 g honey

30 g butter, melted and cooled

240 g all purpose flour

7 g baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 tablespoons cocoa powder (Dutch process is fine)

Dulce de leche (store bought or homemade)

Chocolate covering:
Tempered bittersweet chocolate, about 500 g

Method:

1. Measure out all ingredients.

2. Mix the egg with milk, sugar, honey and butter in a large bowl. Whisk well.

3. In another bowl, stir in the remaining dry ingredients and sift them slowly over the egg mixture in three portions, stirring well after each addition until a smooth, mixture is formed.  Place batter in fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

5. You can use either muffin tins or non-stick-mini cake pans. (I used muffin tins). Grease and flour the pans lightly.  Pour the batter halfway through the tin, do not fill more than half.  

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Un-mold the still warm rolls and let them cool completely on a rack. The muffin tin will cause little domes, you can either trim each cake or keep the domes - completely up to you.

7. Cut each cake in half and spread each with the dulce de leche. Sandwich the cake back together.

8. Melt chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler and cover each Brazilian honey cake.