Cassava Cake
Cassava Cake (Kakanin na May Leche Flan Topping)
Filipino cassava cake with coconut milk and a golden caramelized custard topping, sliced into squares and topped with toasted coconut—the Noche Buena...
Serves 12 · 1h 35m total
The Story
Cassava (kamoteng kahoy) is the crop that refused to die. When rice failed, when typhoons hit, when the pantry was empty, cassava was still in the ground. Indigenous Filipinos boiled and grated it for centuries. Then Spanish and later Filipino home cooks looked at grated cassava, coconut milk, and eggs and said, "This could be a cake." Not sponge cake. Not chiffon. A dense, chewy, slightly gluey miracle that tastes like coconut and sunshine.
The photo is the flex: a rectangular baking dish of squares with that golden custard lid—bubbly, toasted in spots, one piece already missing because somebody couldn't wait. Cut a slice and you see the pale yellow interior, strands of grated cassava still visible, not a smooth paste. That's how you know you didn't over-process it. Toasted coconut on top is the extra crunch; mint is just there to look innocent.
The topping is a later glow-up: condensed milk and egg yolks baked until leche flan had a baby with a custard tart. Cassava cake is the dessert people underestimate until they eat three squares standing at the kitchen counter. Nobody has ever said, "I wish this were lighter." They say, "May tira pa ba?" which is Filipino for "I have no self-control and I am proud."
Best paired with
Barako coffee, toasted coconut on every square, or nothing—cassava cake is a complete personality.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Keep the cassava grated, not blended smooth—the photo slice should show pale yellow strands, not mashed potato.
- ✦Squeeze grated cassava lightly—too wet and the cake never sets; too dry and it's a brick.
- ✦Bake the base first, then add custard topping so it sits on top like the golden lid in the photo instead of sinking.
- ✦Those darker toasted spots on the topping are the goal. Broil 1–2 minutes at the end, then watch it like a hawk.
- ✦Cool completely before slicing into squares. Warm cassava cake is delicious chaos; cold cassava cake is architecture.
- ✦Toast the coconut in a dry pan until golden. That's the garnish on the plated slice—not raw white flakes.
Substitutions
- fresh grated cassava → 1 kg frozen grated cassava, thawed and drained
- toasted shredded coconut → latik (toasted coconut curds) for extra crunch
- mint sprig → skip—it's pretty, not flavor
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 9x13 baking dish—the rectangular beige pan in the photo. Mix grated cassava, coconut milk, evaporated milk, half a can condensed milk, beaten eggs, melted butter, sugar, and cheese. Stir, don't puree: you want those pale yellow cassava strands to still show when you slice.
- 2
Pour into the dish and bake 40–45 minutes until the center is set and the edges pull away slightly. If you poke it and it jiggles like gelatin, give it more time. This is the chewy yellow base under the custard lid.
- 3
Whisk the topping: egg yolks, remaining condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cheese. Pour over the hot cake so it sits on top. Bake another 20–25 minutes until the topping is golden.
- 4
Broil 1–2 minutes until you get those darker caramelized spots like the photo. Watch it. Cassava cake goes from fiesta to charcoal in 30 seconds.
- 5
While it cools, toast shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and nutty. Cool the cake completely, then slice into squares—leave it in the dish like the photo, with one piece already missing if you have no self-control.
- 6
Plate a square so the creamy grated interior shows. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top, add a mint sprig if you're feeling fancy, and serve with extra toasted coconut in a small bowl on the table.
Kitchen Timer · 25 min prep first
70:00
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