Cuca de Uva

The Cuca de Uva is a delightful Brazilian dessert with a nod to its German heritage. Originating from the verdant Gaúcha mountains, this cake offers a tender and airy dough base, lovingly topped with succulent grapes and a buttery streusel. Bursting with tantalizing flavors and irresistible textures, this cake is perfect for any occasion. For a sweet twist, consider the optional chocolate variation.

Ingredients

For the Dough:
🥤 3 cups warm water
🍚 1 cup sugar
🧂 1 tablespoon salt
🍦 1 tablespoon Dr. Oetker vanilla essence
💧 1 tablespoon Adocy liquid sweetener
🥄 1 tablespoon lard or butter (lard used)
🍞 1 tablespoon dry biological yeast
🥚 1 egg
🌰 Nutmeg shavings
🌾 1 kg Veneranda Agulha wheat flour

For the Streusel (Farofinha):
🌾 1 cup wheat flour
🍚 1 cup sugar
🧈 1 tablespoon butter
🥄 1 tablespoon lard

For the Topping:
🍇 Seedless grapes, rolled in sugar
🍫 White and dark chocolate pieces

Instructions

1- Prepare the Dough:

• In a KitchenAid mixer bowl, combine 3 cups of warm water (about 35 degrees Celsius) with 1 tablespoon of dry biological yeast, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lard, and 1 tablespoon of salt.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of Dr. Oetker vanilla essence, 1 tablespoon of Adocy liquid sweetener, and 1 egg.
• Optional: Add nutmeg shavings to taste.
• Gradually incorporate 1 kg of Veneranda Agulha wheat flour. Use the KitchenAid dough hook to knead at medium speed for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and forms air bubbles.

2- First Rise:

• Cover the mixer bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

3- Prepare for Baking:

• Grease rectangular baking pans.
• Divide the risen dough among the pans.
• For the grape version, top the dough with sugar-coated seedless grapes.
• For the optional chocolate version, adorn with pieces of white and dark chocolate.

4- Prepare the Streusel (Farofinha):

• In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of wheat flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 tablespoon of lard.
• Mix by hand until crumbly. Liberally sprinkle the streusel over the grape-topped cucas. Omit if preferring chocolate-only cuca.

5- Second Rise:

• Allow the prepared cakes to rest and rise again for 20 minutes.

6- Bake:

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment: KitchenAid Artisan series stand mixer, KitchenAid dough hook, KitchenAid mixing bowl, aluminum and dark non-stick baking pans, plastic wrap, cooling rack

Cooking Tips

• Ensure the dough is elastic and bubbly for the perfect texture.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap or a damp cloth to accelerate rising.
• Use seedless grapes for convenience.

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Cuca de Uva