If there's one thing I learned in Brazil it's that they love bolo, or cake. There's a bolo for every occasion and they do it right! They use all the fruits of the area along with lots of delicious sweeteners. These Brazilian coconut bars, or bolo toalha felpuda, are deliciously dense and oh so sweet. Try it out for one of your World Cup parties.
photos by Laura Sumrakbaking and recipe development by Jenny Thomas
Check out the full recipe below
Bolo Toalha Felpuda
Prep time: 1hrServes: 20–25
Ingredients:5 eggs (separate the yolks from the whites)1 stick and 3 tbsp of butter4 c of sugar1/2 (14 oz) can of coconut milk7 oz (half of the previous can) of milk4 ½ c of flour1 tbsp baking powder
Cake Topping:2 1/2 cups of flaked coconut1 can of sweetened condensed milk
Directions:Preheat oven to 350º, grease and flour a 9”x13” pan. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and set aside. Beat the sugar, butter and egg yolks until creamy. Add the coconut milk, regular milk and flour to the creamy mixture until smooth. Gently mix in the baking powder. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture. Pour it into the greased pan (there might be some extra batter, which you can use with a smaller 8x8 pan) and bake it for approximately 40 minutes, do the toothpick check between 30 and 40 minutes. If it comes out clean, it is ready.
Directions for the topping: In saucepan, simmer the sweetened and condensed milk until slightly thickened. Poke holes with a fork throughout the cake and pour the sweetened and condensed milk over it. Sprinkle flaked coconut to your liking.
Hint: Once the cake has cooled, cut it into pieces and wrap them in tin foil individually. Put them in the fridge and enjoy a nice a cold coconut cake.
