Cassava Cake
Saturday is market day for the family. Sunday is reserved for going to mass and family time.
We lived in Marikina for the most of my life so it is but natural and convenient that we go to the Pamilihang Bayan ng Marikina. Palengke sa Bayan as it is often called. The palengke or market is a myriad and a treasure trove of fresh produce – vegetables, fruits, seafood, freshly cut beef and pork. The market is so organized that every street or building is assigned a specific product to sell. There is a building for shell fish. Another building for seafood. Another building for fresh water fish like tilapia. In another building or corner would be the meat products – pork or beef.
Saturday is market day! It is a special day for my family! We usually arrive at the palengke a little before 6:00 a.m. and we finish around 7 a.m. just in time for a hearty breakfast. Around the palengke area there is a multitude of choices where one can eat. But we have our favorite watering holes. The first is Estella’s Goto. This is an institution. I don’t know if this is still around but their goto and tokwa’t baboy is to die for.
A little further down the main street, J.P. Rizal, and located after a stall that just sells Rellenong Bangus is another gotohan. I forget the name though. It is a relatively newer establishment than Estella’s but it also serves great goto and tokwa’t baboy. And a little further down and just across Our Lady of the Abandoned Church is Kapitan Moy. This used to be a public elementary school but was converted to a national historical site in the early 1990’s. Inside Kapitan Moy are two must go to places to dine. One is the Kapitan Cafe and the other Kusina ni Kambal, famous for Waknatoy, the Marikina version of menudo.
After breakfast there is still one more thing to do – buy pasalubong for the lolos and lolas, and merienda for later in the day. And what better pasalubong and merienda than freshly made kakanin. Cassava cake. Bibingka. Biko. Suman. Puto at kutsinta. Mainit pa! Masarap lahat.
And we moved to Canada. The freshly made kakanin was a bit difficult to find. One can enjoy them in parties hosted by other Filipinos. Kakanin is also available at Filipino and Asian stores, but it is not the same.
So what am I to do? Make them myself.
“First I was afraid…” as the song goes but “every journey begins with single step.” So my first step was to do some research. Youtube and Google offers a lot of recipes to watch and learn from. The second step was to try the recipes I have come across and experiment! So the recipe I will share with you is a product of experimentation and experience.
This Cassava Cake recipe is as simple as it comes. There are recipes that include a custard layer to place on top of the cassava cake but I want to do away with that. Too sweet!
So here goes!
Ingredients:
Sweetened Condensed Milk – 300 ml
Milk – 300 ml
Coconut Milk – 400 ml
Egg Yolk – 2 pcs.
Grated Cassava (Grated Cassava) – 454 grams.
You will also need a square pyrex or any baking dish with 8.1 in. x 2 in. dimensions, and margarine to brush the sides of the baking dish.
Let’s cook!
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brush sides of baking dish with margarine. Brushing the sides of the baking dish will prevent the cassava cake from sticking to the sides and bottom of the baking dish.
- Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Pour mixed ingredients in the baking dish.
- Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Some marginal notes:
Regarding the eggs: Whole eggs are fine but the end product is a bit hard. I tried just using the yolk and it is much better. The cassava cake holds just right. Just like leche flan.
Regarding oven heat and temperature: I noticed that different ovens cook differently meaning the combination of oven temperature and baking/cooking times are different. So my suggestion is to get to know your cooking/baking equipment.
For this recipe I recommend setting your oven to 350 degrees F. Using the toothpick technique, poke the center of the cassava cake to check if the cassava cake is already cooked through. If the toothpick comes out still wet, add an additional 10 – 15 minutes. But I also suggest that you don’t just leave the baking to the oven. Check the cassava cake every so often. The last thing you want is a burnt cassava cake.
Regarding the custard: I mentioned earlier that I skip the custard part of other recipes not only because it adds more sugar and sweetness but also because after baking this recipe will have a topping layer which you can see in the photo.
Try this recipe. Serve and Enjoy!