Soft Cassava Cake Recipe
Cassava is a starchy root vegetable that's cultivated and eaten by people all over the world. Vitamin- and mineral-rich, cassava can be used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet recipes. Recipe developer Carlos Leo specializes in creating ethnically diverse recipes on his blog Spoonabilities, and he shares his version of a classic Filipino dessert, cassava cake.
"I'm from the Dominican Republic," Leo told us, "and we make a dessert from cassava. It's not the same or similar. This was my first time trying this cake, and it was tasty and to my personal taste." According to The Spruce Eats, cassava has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and can be used in almost any cooking method, such as broiling, baking, and frying. Leo's recipe for cassava cake has a lovely, soft texture and a sweet custard topping. It's perfect for dessert or just snacking any time of day.
Gather the ingredients for the soft cassava cake
First and foremost, you need to get your hands on two pounds of fresh cassava. You'll find cassava — sometimes labeled as "yuca" — in most Latin markets. But if you don't have a specialty market nearby, you can also purchase fresh cassava online. There are two types of cassava — sweet and bitter — and you'll want the sweet variety since the bitter cassava is mostly just used for making cassava flour or tapioca.
If you can't get fresh cassava, Leo says it's okay to use frozen grated cassava, but you'll need to thaw it and squeeze out the excess juice before using it. Other ingredients are pretty standard fare for cake baking, and the three types of canned milk create the cake's luscious texture and also make the cake's custard topping delectable.
Peel and core the cassava
To get started, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 14x10-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper. Cut off the ends of the cassava, and then cut it into small pieces. Using a paring knife, peel off the thick brown skin. Next, slice each piece in half lengthwise, and remove the tough, stringy core running through the center from each piece. When you've peeled, cut, and cored each piece, wash them under cool running water.
Grate the cassava, and squeeze out excess juice
Attach the grating disc to your food processor, and grate each piece of cassava, one at a time. Alternatively, use the fine grate side of a box grater. When all of the cassava is grated, wrap some of it in a clean kitchen towel, and gently squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Leo recommends not squeezing too hard, but "just enough to remove the excess juice." Once you've squeezed all of the grated cassava, you should have just over one pound. Raw cassava and cassava juice can be toxic if ingested, so toss out the collected juice.
Make the batter, then bake the cassava cake until golden
Combine in a large mixing bowl the grated cassava, a cup and a half of coconut milk, two eggs, a cup and a half of evaporated milk, a cup and a half of condensed milk, a pinch of sea salt, and a quarter-cup of melted, unsalted butter. Stir all of the ingredients with a large wooden spoon until the batter is well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is set with a slight jiggle in the center. The cake should be a light golden color.
Make the topping, and pour it over the baked cake
While the cake is baking, make the topping. Combine the remaining half a cup of coconut milk, half a cup of condensed milk, half a cup of evaporated milk, two tablespoons of flour, and two eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk the topping ingredients together until well-blended, then transfer the topping to a large measuring cup. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven, and pour the topping evenly over the cake. Put the cake back into the oven, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Finish baking the cake, and slice when cooled
The final touch is broiling the cake so the custard topping caramelizes. Turn on the broiler, and place the cake under the heating element. Broil the cake for five to six minutes until the top is light brown and bubbly. Keep your eye on the cake so the top doesn't burn. Cool the cake for about an hour until it reaches room temperature, then slice. Although it's not traditional, if you would like to really indulge, Leo recommends drizzling a bit of dulce de leche or caramel sauce over the cassava cake. With or without that extra jolt of indulgence, Leo's cassava cake is sure to please.
- 2 pounds fresh cassava
- 2 cups coconut milk, divided
- 4 large eggs, divided
- 2 cups evaporated milk, divided
- 2 cups condensed milk, divided
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 14x10-inch baking dish by lightly spraying it with cooking spray, then lining it with parchment paper.
- To peel the cassava, cut the end tips and cut it into small sections. Using a paring knife, peel off the thick skin. Cut each section in half and remove the core. The core is the tough string going through the center of the cassava. Wash the cassava under running water.
- Using the food processor with the grater attachment, grate the cassava. After grating the cassava, using a kitchen towel, squeeze gently some of the liquid out of the grated cassava. Do not squeeze too hard, just enough to remove the excess juice. You will end up with just over 1 pound of grated cassava.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the grated cassava, 1 ½ cups coconut milk, 2 eggs, 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, 1 ½ cups condensed milk, a pinch of sea salt, and ¼ cup melted butter. Mix the batter until it's well-combined. Place into baking dish.
- Bake the cake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake is set with just a little jiggle in the center. It should be a light golden color.
- While the cake is baking, make the topping by combining ½ cup coconut milk, ½ cup condensed milk, ½ cup evaporated milk, 2 tablespoons flour, and 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they're well-blended. Set aside.
- Remove the cassava cake from the oven, and pour the topping on the top of the baked cake. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, then broil the cake for 5 to 6 minutes until the top is light brown and bubbly. Check the cake frequently to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Cool the cassava cake at room temperature for about 1 hour before slicing it into servings.
| Calories per Serving | 318 |
| Total Fat | 14.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.1 g |
| Cholesterol | 67.8 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 41.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 22.2 g |
| Sodium | 105.9 mg |
| Protein | 7.3 g |
