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Filipino Cassava Cake

This Filipino Cassava Cake is a classic Philippine dessert or ‘merienda’ fare that requires only a few steps. Cassava is the starchy, tuberous root of a tropical tree used as food in Asia and South America. In the Philippines, I used to prepare this with cassava grated by hand. Now that I live in the United States, an easier solution to use frozen grated cassava and mixing all the ingredients quickly. This was a simple mix-stir-bake dessert. After baking, I added the topping, which makes the cake sticky- sweet and gooey. The cassava cake or ‘bibingkang cassava’ as most Filipinos call it has a rich, heavy consistency flavored with sweet coconut cream and eggs. Once baked, the tropical coconut aroma is magnificent. This is one of my favorite recipes adapted from Nora Daza’s ‘Let’s Cook with Nora’. This recipe was for a baking pan measuring 9 x 11 inches, and served 6 to 8 for dessert.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snacks
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Filipino Cassava Cake
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 196kcal
Author: Asian in America

Equipment

  • Oven-proof baking pan: 9 inches x 11 inches

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces grated cassava (frozen) thawed, drained (from Asian markets), about 2 cups grated cassava
  • 3 whole large eggs divided, set aside 1 for topping
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 can (12 fl. oz./354 ml) evaporated milk divided use half of can for cake, rest for topping
  • 1 can (13.5 fl oz./400 ml) coconut milk divided, use half of can for cake, rest for topping
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for topping
  • 1 Tablespoon softened unsalted butter to grease baking pan
  • 2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
    Grease with baking spray and softened butter a 9 x 11 inches baking pan with a depth of at least 2 inches. Set aside.

To make cassava filling:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients with a wooden spoon: Grated cassava, eggs, granulated sugar, half of the can of evaporated milk, half of the can of coconut milk. Blend well till ingredients are incorporated.
  • Pour the cassava mixture into the greased baking pan.
    Bake at 350 F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Test the middle with the tip of a sharp knife. If knife comes clean, cassava cake filling is done.
    Remove from the oven to add the topping.

To make the topping:

  • In a small bowl, mix together the egg, halves of the evaporated milk and coconut milk, and vanilla. Blend well.
  • Pour the topping mixture over the cooked cassava cake.
    Pour the melted butter over the topping.
    Return the cassava cake with topping to the oven. Broil at 400 F degrees for 12 to 14 minutes till top is brown and has a golden crust.

To serve:

  • Take the cooked cassava cake with the topping out of the oven. Cool on the counter till it is at room temperature.
    Once cooled, cover with foil and refrigerate to firm up for at least 4 to 6 hours or up to overnight.
    Slice in squares and serve warm or chilled as a dessert or snack.

Cook's comments:

  • Keep refrigerated at all times. This keeps in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
    When broiling, keep in mind the oven tends to get extremely hot, so keep an eye on the cassava while top is starting to brown. Do not leave the kitchen nor leave the oven unattended or it will burn at this stage of broiling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 50g