The recipe I’m sharing is a Malaysian cassava cake that I’ve eaten growing up. This Southeast Asian treat is how my mother would make it. My mother’s side of the family is of Chinese descent and she grew up in Southeast Asia, so I grew up enjoying Chinese and Southeast Asian foods- how lucky am I!
Have you tried cassava before? Cassava is a starchy root (like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam) that is originally found in tropical countries. Cassava high in fibre, potassium, and vitamin C. Cassava, when dried, is used to make tapioca (think tapioca pudding or bubble tea “pearls”). The tapioca pearls are formed when the cassava root is dehydrated.
Uncooked or non-dehydrated cassava is actually poisonous. The poisonous compound is hydrocyanic acid. Boiling or baking cassava prevents the acid from forming. So once cooked, there is no need to worry!
For my cassava cake, you can buy frozen, grated cassava from Asian/ethnic grocery stores. All you need to do is thaw the package.
My cassava cake recipe is similar to baked mochi cake. They are both soft and chewy, but the cassava cake also has fibrous strands, to give it more texture. The flavour of cassava is also subtle, so it easily picks up the coconut milk and sweetness of the other ingredients. It’s a super easy and tasty dessert to make.
Give my cassava cake a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!
Malaysian Cassava Cake
Ingredients:
2 x 454 g Packages Cassava, Grated, Thawed from Frozen
1 can Coconut Milk (398 ml)
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix all ingredients together, except olive oil.
3. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until edges are browned.
4. Brush oil over cake and turn on broil function on the oven. Broil until top of the cake is golden (will take only a few minutes- watch cake to ensure it doesn’t burn).
5. Let cool before slicing.
Enjoy!
