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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.