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Pao de Mel (Honey Spice Cakes)

Soft, deeply spiced Brazilian honey cakes filled with a sweet condensed milk cream and coated in dark chocolate, popular at breakfast or as a snack. Plan ahead: the cakes are best the next day after the chocolate sets.

60 minMediumServes 12290 cal/serving

BrazilianBreakfastOvenVegetarianLow-SodiumNightshade-FreeCorn-Free

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 12 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped, chopped
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable shortening

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin.

  2. 2

    In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1/2 cup honey, 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/2 cup whole milk. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

  3. 3

    Whisk 2 large egg into the cooled honey mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.

  4. 4

    Fold the flour mixture into the honey mixture until a smooth, slightly sticky batter forms. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

  5. 5

    Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  6. 6

    Meanwhile, make the filling: beat 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and 4 oz softened cream cheese together until smooth and thick. Once the cakes are fully cool, use a paring knife to cut a small cone from the bottom of each cake and hollow out a shallow cavity. Fill each with about a tablespoon of the cream filling, then replace the cut piece to seal.

  7. 7

    Make the chocolate coating: melt 12 oz chopped dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped and 2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable shortening together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

  8. 8

    One at a time, dip each cake in the melted chocolate, letting the excess drip off, and set on a parchment-lined rack. Let the chocolate set at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes. The cakes taste best the next day.

Questions

Can I make Pao de Mel (Honey Spice Cakes) dairy-free?

Yes. The dairy in this entry is 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 cup whole milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 4 oz cream cheese, softened. Swap the butter for olive oil where it melts, or a plant-based block butter where it is creamed; the milk for unsweetened oat or soy milk; the sweetened condensed milk for a plant-based version of the same product; the cheese for a plant-based melting cheese (expect a milder flavor). The richness shifts slightly, but the method does not change.

Can I make Pao de Mel (Honey Spice Cakes) gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in this entry is 2 cups all-purpose flour. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

Can I make Pao de Mel (Honey Spice Cakes) ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat covered in a 300 F oven until warmed through.

Can I halve or double Pao de Mel (Honey Spice Cakes)?

Yes. As written it serves 12. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. Doubled, split it across two pans and rotate them halfway; one crowded pan bakes unevenly.

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