Brazilian · dessert

Bolo de Fubá Cremoso

Bolo de Fubá Cremoso reads sweetness 6.5, richness 6.0 and umami 5.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Brazilian dessert, about 1 hr 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.2 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sweetness 6.5 · Richness 6.0 · Umami 5.7 · Salinity 4.8 · Floral 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Nutty 2.1 · Earthy 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Fruity 0.8 · Bitterness 0.6 · Sourness 0.6

What's in it (14)

• cornmeal — 200 g
• regular milk — 800 g
• sugar — 250 g
• eggs — 400 g
• unsalted butter — 100 g
• parmesan cheese — 80 g
• all-purpose flour — 60 g
• baking powder — 15 g
• vanilla extract — 5 g
• salt — 3 g
• butter — 20 g
• cornmeal — 15 g
• sugar — 13 g
• canela — 3 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 45 min (55 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 307.1 kcal, 19.6 g protein, 8.8 g fat, 46.7 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. The trick of a bolo cremoso is that it separates while it bakes: a very loose batter sinks into a custard layer underneath and a cake layer on top, all by itself. Mineiros eat it in the afternoon with coffee and it is savoury enough, from the cheese, to be a snack rather than a pudding.
2. Heat the oven to 180 C. Butter a 24 cm round tin generously and dust it with the tablespoon of fubá rather than flour, which gives the crust its sandy edge.
3. Put the milk, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla and salt into a blender and run it 30 seconds until smooth. If you have no blender, whisk the eggs and sugar first and then beat in the liquids.
4. Add the fubá, flour, cheese and baking powder and blend another 20 seconds, just until combined. The batter will be alarmingly thin, like single cream — that is correct and it is what makes the creamy stratum. Do not thicken it.
5. Let the batter stand 10 minutes so the cornmeal hydrates and swells slightly; skipping this leaves a gritty cake.
6. Pour it into the tin, sprinkle the sugar and canela over the surface, and bake 45 to 55 minutes. It is done when the top is deep gold and set, the edges have pulled slightly from the tin, and a skewer into the top third comes out clean while the centre still wobbles like a set custard when you nudge the tin.
7. Cool at least 40 minutes in the tin before cutting. Warm from the oven it will not hold a slice; at room temperature the bottom sets into a spoonable custard under a proper crumb.
8. Substitutions: queijo canastra can stand in for the finely grated parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Char Siu (叉烧) — Chinese
• Pan de Yema — Peruvian
• Puto (Steamed Rice Cakes) — Filipino
• Qatayef (Ramadan Stuffed Pancakes) — Egyptian
• Chikuzenni (Simmered Chicken and Root Vegetables) — Japanese

Keep reading: what sweetness, richness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.