Cookbooks
By Marvin Gapultos
4.3
(9)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
The term bibingka usually refers to a certain variety of sweet Filipino cakes made from rice flour, though cassava (yuca) root can also be used to make a sweet and rich bibingka as well. In the United States, fresh cassava root can easily be found in Asian or Latin markets and sometimes in larger grocery stores. However, to save time and effort, I do prefer to use frozen grated cassava. Don’t be alarmed by the absence of flour in this cake recipe. Because of the high starch content in cassava, it alone will be able to absorb the liquid and transform into a sweet and soft cake that may be the easiest dessert you’ll ever make.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes one 8 x 8-in. cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
4 egg yolks, beaten
One 1-lb (500 g) package frozen grated cassava, thawed
1 cup (250 g) jarred macapuno coconut strings, or sweetened shredded coconut
1½ cups (375 ml) canned unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup (125 ml) sweetened condensed milk
For the topping:
4 egg whites
¼ cup (65 ml) sweetened condensed milk
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
To make the cake, combine the egg yolks, cassava, macapuno (or shredded coconut, if using), coconut milk and the ½ cup sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl and mix well.
Step 3
Pour the cake batter into a greased 8 x 8-in (20 x 20-cm) cake pan. The cake batter will appear to be very loose and wet at this point, but don’t worry, the cassava will absorb most of the liquid during baking. Place the cake pan into the oven and bake until the top of the cake appears dry and no liquid is floating on the surface, 45–60 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, to make the topping, whisk together the egg whites and the ¼ cup (65 ml) sweetened condensed milk in a medium bowl until very well incorporated. Although you are using egg whites, don’t be concerned with making a foam or a meringue, just mix until combined.
Step 5
Remove the cake from the oven and evenly pour the topping onto the cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake until the topping sets, about 10 minutes more.
Step 6
Remove the cake from the oven and rest the cake in its pan on a cooling rack. Cool the cake completely before cutting it into squares. The cassava cake can be served at room temperature, or cold out of the refrigerator.
From The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey by Marvin Gapultos, copyright © 2013. Reprinted with permission from Tuttle Publishing.Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsCakeDessertFilipinoSoutheast AsianAsianCoconutFruitCoconut MilkDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeVegetarianEasyBakingCookbooks
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review
How would you rate Bibingkang Cassava (Cassava Cake)?
Leave a Review
Reviews (9)
Back to TopTriangleExcellent recipe, tastes exactly like how my Filipino relatives made it, even though it doesn't use rice flour. I rather liked how easy it was to make (just put ingredients into a bowl, mix, and put into oven). The only critique my mom had was that she was used to the top being brown after coming out of the oven, likely due to some caramelization, but I've seen it both white-topped and brown-topped.To clarify, this is similar to a cheese"cake" and an ice cream "cake" that it doesn't have the consistency of a traditional cake. As the previous user mentioned it has a texture more similar to a heavy custard rather than a pastry cake, which is how it's intended to be, similar to a cheesecake. I'd vaguely compare the taste to a coconut custard pie, but thicker.
JayDee
9/19/2021
I made this recipe exactly as written. It is pleasantly coconutty, but the texture is more like thick custard than cake. I would not make it again.
coester
Bremerton, WA
6/14/2021
Don't pay attention to HIMMTER's low rating. He/she obviously didn't make the recipe. This recipe is very similar to my family's recipe. It's a hit at parties. I always get rave reviews and repeated requests to make this dessert from my non-Filipino friends.
Anonymous
3/27/2021
We have the same cake in Brazil (bolo de aipim), except that sometimes we add grated cheese to the batter and we usually top it with caramel, like a flan. I'm excited to try the Filipino version.
deborahlou
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8/17/2020
HIMTER6220 - why leave lowly rated review just to make a suggestion? Did you even make this recipe?
Anonymous
Boston, MA
8/12/2020
Using fresh cassava is always better. Frozen grated cassava develops a rubbery cake and should only be used as a last resort. Made lots of cassava cake and intend to do more!
himter6220
toronto canada
8/11/2020
Tasty
Vicky
11/4/2022
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
- iconGallery37Easy Cake Recipes for Low-Effort, Celebration-Worthy Desserts
Simply delicious (and deliciously simple) cake recipes you’ll love.
- iconGallery31 Picnic Desserts for Your Next Outdoor Feast
Looking for a dessert to bring to a picnic? These homemade sweets are a reason to linger in the great outdoors.
- iconGallery61 Easter Desserts, Each One Better Than a Chocolate Egg
No Easter basket or pandering to bunnies required.
- iconGallery37 Passover Desserts to End Your Seder on a Sweet Note
Coconut macaroons, matzo toffee, and so much more.
- iconGallery37 Craveable Coconut Desserts
From creamy coconut pie to a moist and fluffy coconut-carrot cake, these are desserts you'll never flake out on.
- iconGallery43 Gluten-Free Desserts for Every Occasion
Whether it’s a special occasions or just any Tuesday night, here are our best, crowd-pleasing gluten-free desserts.
- iconGallery79 Easy Baking Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Breads, and More
These easy baking recipes can fit seamlessly into even the busiest week.
- My Favorite Flour Isn't Flour—It's Grated Cassava
Grated cassava gives this classic Filipino cake a sweet, nutty flavor and a sticky, chewy texture.
