A light vanilla butter cake made with whipped egg whites and folded with chocolate sprinkles that stay as dark specks through the crumb. Baked in a ring pan, it is a simple teatime cake loved by children and adults alike. Makes 12 servings in about 1 hr 50 min.
Prep25 min
Cook45 min
Cooling40 min
Total
1 hr 50 min
Servings
12
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
½ cup (100 g)unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for the pan
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the 10-inch (25 cm) tube pan and dust it with a little of the extra all-purpose flour.
Separate the eggs. In a large bowl beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the pure vanilla extract.
Whisk the 300 g all-purpose flour with the baking powder and salt. Add it to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the whole milk in two parts, mixing on low just until smooth.
In a clean bowl whip the egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold them into the batter in two additions, keeping it light.
Toss the chocolate sprinkles with the remaining extra all-purpose flour and gently fold them into the batter so they are evenly spread.
Scrape the batter into the pan and bake until golden, springy to the touch and a skewer comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes, before slicing.
Tips
Use chocolate sprinkles labeled as real chocolate or that hold their shape when baked; some candy sprinkles melt and streak the cake. Check the label for soy and milk.
Fold the sprinkles in at the very end and do not overmix, or they bleed color into the crumb.
Good with hot chocolate or café com leite.
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How long does it take to make bolo formigueiro (brazilian anthill cake)?
Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking, plus 40 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 12 servings.
How should I store bolo formigueiro (brazilian anthill cake)?
Keep covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
Can I make bolo formigueiro (brazilian anthill cake) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Serve it with hot chocolate or café com leite.
Variations
Orange (laranja) version: replace the whole milk with 240 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice and add 1 tbsp (6 g) finely grated orange zest with the sugar; bake time unchanged.
Chocolate topping: melt 100 g (2/3 cup) chopped semisweet chocolate into 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) hot heavy cream, cool 10 minutes and spoon over the cooled cake; finish with 1 tbsp more chocolate sprinkles.
Coconut version: fold 50 g (2/3 cup) unsweetened grated coconut in with the sprinkles; bake time unchanged.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.
268Calories / serving
2.4gFat
58.8gCarbs
2.8gProtein
56.2gSugar
Whole recipe (12 servings):
~3216 cal ·
29g fat ·
706g carbs ·
34g protein ·
674g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
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