Whenever we have a potluck at work, my coworkers already know what to ask me to bring: Filipino cassava cake. And almost every time, someone takes a bite and asks, “What’s cassava?”
I get the same reaction when I bring my ube cassava cake, except the question becomes “What’s ube?” If you’re curious about that one, check out my favorite Filipino ube desserts.
But at home, my husband prefers the classic cassava cake, so that’s the one I make most often.
If you’ve never tried it, cassava cake is a popular Filipino dessert made with grated cassava (also called yuca), coconut milk, and condensed milk. It’s rich, soft, slightly chewy, and topped with a creamy custard that’s broiled until golden brown.
And the best part? No peeling or grating cassava. I use frozen grated cassava from the Asian grocery store to keep things simple. Just mix, bake, add the custard topping, and broil. That’s it!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No peeling or grating: Frozen grated cassava from the Asian grocery store does the hard part, so you just thaw it and mix.
- Simple method: One batter, one custard topping, a bake and a quick broil. No mixer needed.
- Made for potlucks: It bakes right in a disposable aluminum pan, so there’s nothing to wash or bring home.
- Better made ahead: A night in the fridge firms it up, so you can bake it the day before and slice clean squares at the party.
- Classic cassava and coconut flavor: No ube, no add-ins, just the chewy cassava and rich coconut custard top that Filipino cassava cake is known for.
What Is Cassava Cake?
Cassava cake is a Filipino baked dessert made from grated cassava, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and eggs. It’s dense and chewy, closer to mochi than to a fluffy sponge cake, and finished with a thin custard topping that’s broiled until golden.
Cassava itself is a starchy root, also called yuca or manioc, and it’s one of the most common bases for Filipino kakanin, the native sweets and snacks. It always needs to be cooked before eating, which is why the cake bakes all the way through.
You’ll find cassava cake at Filipino birthdays, fiestas, and holiday tables, usually next to bibingka and inutak. It’s also sold by the pan at Filipino stores and bakeries, which is how a lot of people outside the Philippines first try it.
Ingredients
- Grated cassava: This is the base and where the chewy, dense texture comes from. Frozen grated cassava saves you peeling and grating. Thaw it completely and use it as is, no squeezing or draining. That moisture helps keep the cake soft.
- Coconut milk: Carries the coconut flavor cassava cake is known for and keeps the cake moist. Use full-fat canned. Light coconut milk makes a less rich cake.
- Condensed milk: Sweetens the cake and gives it that dense, fudgy richness. It goes in the topping too, where its sugar helps the custard brown under the broiler.
- Evaporated milk: Adds richness without adding much sweetness, so the cake doesn’t tip into too sweet.
- Eggs: Set the batter so it slices into clean squares instead of staying soft like pudding.
- Butter: Melted into the batter for richness, and cooked with flour to start the topping. Use unsalted so you control the salt.
- Sugar: The condensed milk already adds plenty of sweetness, so this is where you adjust. Add part of it, taste the wet mix, then add the rest if you want it sweeter.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the coconut and keeps the cake from tasting flat.
- All-purpose flour: Only goes in the topping. It thickens the custard so it sits on top of the cake instead of soaking in.
See recipe card for quantities.
Where to Find Frozen Grated Cassava
Look in the freezer section of Asian or Filipino grocery stores. It usually comes in plastic packs labeled grated cassava.
Fresh cassava works if you can’t find frozen, but you’ll need to peel and grate it yourself. The FAQ below covers how.
How to Make Cassava Cake
Make the Cake
- Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, stir together the coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, melted butter, and part of the sugar. Taste and add the rest of the sugar if you want it sweeter. Do this before the cassava goes in, since cassava should never be eaten raw. Stir in the thawed cassava (no need to squeeze or drain it), then the eggs, just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense. Pour into a half-size deep aluminum pan (about 11¾ x 9⅜ inches) and spread it evenly. Set the pan on a baking sheet so you can support the bottom when moving it in and out of the oven.
- Bake: Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The center needs to be fully set before the topping goes on, or the cake can turn out gummy.
Add the Custard Topping
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a pan over low heat, so it doesn’t brown. Stir in the flour until smooth, then add the sugar, stirring constantly so nothing sticks. The flour is what thickens the custard so it sits on top of the cake instead of soaking in.
- Pour in the milks: Add the condensed milk, coconut milk, and vanilla, still stirring.
- Cook until slightly thick: Keep stirring until it thickens a little but still pours easily. If it gets too thick, it won’t spread evenly.
- Top the cake: Pour the topping over the baked cake and spread it all the way to the edges so the whole top browns evenly.
- Broil and cool: Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until the top is golden with dark spots. Those dark spots are normal and add a caramelized flavor, but pull it out before they turn black. Broilers vary a lot, so check every few minutes after the first 5. Let it cool before slicing. Serve it warm for a softer slice, or chill it for clean squares.
Rose's Tips
- Bake it in a disposable aluminum pan: It goes from oven to potluck table in the same pan, so there’s nothing to wash or bring home. Set it on a baking sheet, since these pans bend easily and the bottom needs support when you move it.
- Make it the day before: Cassava cake firms up overnight in the fridge, so baking it ahead is easier on you and makes it easier to slice.
- Slice it cold: Warm cassava cake is soft and sticky, so the cuts come out ragged. Chilled, it holds its shape and you get clean squares.
- Don’t fear the dark spots: The broiled custard browns unevenly, and the dark spots add a caramelized flavor. Just pull it before any spots turn black.
Variations
- Ube cassava cake: Add ube halaya and ube extract to the batter for a purple version with a sweet, slightly earthy flavor. Here’s my full ube cassava cake recipe, with macapuno in the batter and on top.
- Cheesy cassava cake: Sprinkle grated cheddar over the custard before broiling. Sweet and salty is a common way to top cassava cake in the Philippines, and the cheese browns along with the custard.
- With macapuno: Fold drained macapuno strings into the batter for chewy pockets of sweet coconut. Drain the syrup well, since it adds extra sugar and liquid.
- Mini cassava cakes: Bake in a muffin tin for single servings at a party. They bake faster than a full pan, so start checking well before the full bake time.
How to Store It
- Fridge: Cover the pan or move the slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. It firms up as it chills, so slices hold their shape better on day two.
- At the potluck: The cake and custard are made with eggs and milk, so don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
- Serving leftovers: Eat it cold straight from the fridge, or let it sit out for a bit to take the chill off.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as it’s cooked. Raw cassava contains natural compounds that can release cyanide, so it should never be eaten raw. Peeling, grating, and cooking all lower those compounds, which is why the cake needs to bake until a toothpick comes out clean. It’s also why you taste the wet mix before the cassava goes in, not after.
It’s sweet and rich with a strong coconut flavor, and a mild, slightly nutty taste from the cassava. The texture is dense and chewy, closer to mochi than to a fluffy cake, with a soft custard layer on top.
This recipe is tested with frozen grated cassava, which is already peeled and grated. If you use fresh, peel off all the skin, including the pinkish layer underneath, and grate it finely. Fresh cassava can be wetter than frozen, so the texture may come out a little different.
No. Cassava flour is dried and ground, so it won’t give you the moist, chewy texture this cake depends on. Look for frozen grated cassava in the freezer section of Asian or Filipino grocery stores.
Usually it’s underbaked or sliced too soon. Make sure the center is fully set before you add the topping, and let the cake cool completely before cutting. Warm cassava cake is soft and sticky even when it’s done. Overmixing can also make it dense, so stir only until combined.
Not as written. Cassava is naturally gluten-free, but the custard topping uses all-purpose flour.
More Filipino Desserts
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Bibingka Recipe (Filipino Rice Cake): shares the holiday dessert table.
- Inutak Recipe: another layered Filipino kakanin.
- Easy Filipino Royal Bibingka Cornbread: a quick baked Filipino dessert in a regular pan.
- Ube Leche Flan: another party dessert that’s easy to make ahead.
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Easy Filipino Cassava Cake
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 sauce pan
- 1 Half-size deep aluminum pan (about 11¾ x 9⅜ inches)
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
Cassava Cake Base
- 1.75 pounds grated cassava thawed
- 2 cups coconut milk
- ½ cup condensed milk
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup white sugar divided
- 2 whole eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
Custard Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- ½ cup condensed milk
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Cassava Cake Base
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, stir together the coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, melted butter, and part of the sugar and salt. Taste and add the rest of the sugar if desired. Taste before adding the cassava, since cassava should not be eaten raw.2 cups coconut milk, ½ cup condensed milk, ½ cup evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup white sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir in the thawed cassava (no need to squeeze or drain it), then the eggs, just until combined.1.75 pounds grated cassava, 2 whole eggs
- Pour into the aluminum pan and spread evenly. Set the pan on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Custard Topping
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour until smooth, then add the sugar, stirring constantly.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons white sugar
- Add the condensed milk, coconut milk, vanilla and salt. Keep stirring until slightly thickened but still pourable.½ cup condensed milk, 2 cups coconut milk, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the topping over the baked cake and spread to the edges.
- Broil for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden with dark spots, checking every few minutes after the first 5.
- Cool before slicing. Chill for cleaner squares, then cut 4 rows by 5 for 20 servings.
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Notes
- Cassava: Thaw completely and use as is, no squeezing or draining.
- Sweetness: Add the sugar in two parts and taste the wet mix before adding the cassava. Condensed milk is already sweet, so you may not need all of it.
- Doneness: The center should be fully set before the topping goes on, or the cake can turn out gummy.
- Broiling: Dark spots are normal and add a caramelized flavor. Pull it before any turn black.
- Pan: Disposable aluminum pans bend easily, so keep it on the baking sheet when moving it.
- Slicing: Cool completely and chill for clean squares.
- Storage: Refrigerate covered for 3 to 4 days. Don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
Rose says
Rose here with one tip I forgot to put in the post: if your broiler runs hot, move the rack down one level so the custard has time to set before the dark spots form. Have questions about finding frozen cassava or making it ahead for a party? Leave them here and I’ll answer.