This one-bowl recipe for cassava cake is gooey, bouncy, and custardy. Made with coconut, cassava cake is a dreamy, dairy-free dessert.
I literally had a dream where I made a baked pudding with a burnt caramelized top and strings of coconut inside. In my dream, the pudding was too liquid and boiled over in the oven, but upon tasting was custardy and soft, with white strings of macapuno coconut and a dark, burnt skin on top like Portuguese egg tarts.
I decided that I must make this dessert in my waking life (but without the boiling over in the oven). With some research, I found that my dream dessert is very similar to cassava cake. I’ve made cassava cake once a very long time ago, and my subconscious mind must have wanted to make it again, but more gooey and custard-like.
What is cassava cake?
Cassava cake is a popular Filipino snack or dessert. Cassava cake is also known as cassava pudding, cassava bibingka, bibingkang balanghoy. Similar desserts made from cassava also exist in Vietnam (bánh khoai mì) and the Caribbean (yuca cake; cassava pone).
Serving cassava cake:
My favorite way to eat cassava cake is with a spoon, while the cassava cake is still warm or hot. When the cassava cake is warm from the oven, the texture is gooey and delicious. (chef’s kiss) Gooey cassava cake is absolutely amazing served warm with some ice cream.
Once cooled, cassava cake becomes more set. Cooled cassava cake will be easy to slice into pieces with clean edges.
Room temperature cassava cake has a texture reminiscent of baked mochi that is firm, slightly chewy and bouncy. In comparison, warm cassava cake is softer and tastes custardy and rich.
Ingredients
All these ingredients can be found at Asian supermarkets, especially ones with a large selection of Filipino ingredients.
- Cassava: Cassava is also known as yuca. It is a root vegetable with brown waxy skin and white flesh. Cassava must be thoroughly cooked before being eaten. ⚠️ Don’t be tempted to taste the cassava cake batter because raw cassava contains cyanide!
- Coconut strings (frozen or jarred): Frozen coconut strings can also be labeled as “shredded young coconut”. Young coconut flesh will be more tender than that of an old coconut (also used to make shredded coconut, but usually the desiccated variety). I used frozen young coconut strings because it happened to be the most economical. You can also use macapuno, which will be even more tender. Macapuno comes in a jar and can be found in the canned fruit section. The texture of macapuno will be more jelly-like than young coconut flesh. Macapuno is a mutant coconut variety with soft flesh and no coconut water.
- Coconut cream: Like coconut milk, but with a higher fat percentage. Coconut cream can be canned or in cartons. It can be found next to coconut milk, in the canned fruit or canned milk aisles.
- Sweetened condensed coconut milk: A dairy free alternative to sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed coconut milk is thick and slightly more yellow than sweetened condensed milk made from dairy. Sweetened condensed coconut milk delivers extra coconut flavor. Sweetened condensed milk can be used instead if you prefer the dairy version or cannot find any made from coconut.
How to make gooey coconut cassava cake
This is a true one bowl recipe and there is no measuring involved. We are simply combining the entire cans/packages of ingredients together. For recipe success, be sure to get the right size of sweetened condensed milk, coconut cream, grated cassava and young coconut.
First, defrost the grated cassava and young coconut strings.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, drain the grated cassava and young coconut strings. The grated cassava should be especially well drained. Liquid will come out when you press down on the grated cassava, make sure that most of this liquid is removed.
In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed coconut milk, coconut cream, drained coconut strings and grated cassava, and two eggs. Using the condensed milk can, measure 1 can of milk (this is roughly equivalent to 1 US cup) and combine with the other ingredients.
Pour this batter into a baking pan. I use a rectangular 7 by 10 inch baking pan. In a preheated oven, bake for 35 minutes to 1 hour, or until the entire top of the cake is set. The center of the cake should not be jiggly. When you touch the top of the cake, it should be dry.
If the cassava cake is not already golden at this stage, broil until the crust is golden brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Gooey Coconut Cassava Cake
Equipment
- 1 fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth
- 1 baking pan
Ingredients
- 320 g 11.25 oz sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 200 ml coconut cream
- 1 can milk of choice roughly 1 cup – see instructions below
- 454 g (1 package) young coconut strings thawed and drained (or macapuno)
- 500 g (1 package) grated cassava thawed and drained
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Defrost the grated cassava and young coconut strings.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, drain the grated cassava and young coconut strings. The grated cassava should be especially well drained. Liquid will come out when you press down on the grated cassava, make sure that most of this liquid is removed.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed coconut milk, coconut cream, drained coconut strings and grated cassava, and two eggs. Using the condensed milk can, measure 1 can of milk (this is roughly equivalent to 1 US cup) and combine with the other ingredients.
- Pour this batter into a baking pan. I use a rectangular 7 by 10 inch baking pan. In a preheated oven, bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the entire top of the cake is set. The center of the cake should not be jiggly. When you touch the top of the cake, it should be dry.
- If the cassava cake is not already golden at this stage, broil until the crust is golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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