Cassava Cake with Coconut Custard Topping

Want the ultimate game-changer to your holiday dessert table? Here’s a classic dessert from The Philippine islands! I grew up with Cassava Cake and you can pretty much find it at almost any Filipino celebration.

My favorite part is the golden brown, caramelized edges that pair well with the sweet, silky, custard layer. I have my own version of this to add a bit more fun texture to the topping with crisp, brown sugar with shaved coconut on top! The key ingredient to this recipe is Sweetened Condensed Milk. This ingredient is used in many Filipino desserts and my holy-grail of brands to use is Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk.

We all might want something different than the good, ol’ cookie exchange, but this holiday season, I’m so happy to be partnered with Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk to do our very own un-cookie exchange! Not everyone enjoys spending hours upon hours baking away in a kitchen. Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk can help you host a fuss-free holiday un-cookie exchange.

Try bringing this Cassava Cake with Coconut Custard Topping to the party! Be prepared for them to be requesting a batch (or two) for next year!

Cassava Cake with Coconut Custard Topping

Yield: 12-16 servings

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 lb grated Cassava (if frozen, thaw first). You can find Cassava at your local Asian or international market. You could also substitute with Yucca or sweet potatoes.
1 14 oz can of Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 14 oz can coconut cream or high-fat coconut milk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt

For the Custard Layer:

½ cup of Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. Salt

For the Topping (optional):

5 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup of coconut shavings or coconut chips. (The large shavings look prettier than grated coconut.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8"-x-8" baking pan with parchment paper with two pieces overlapping each other with extra parchment coming up the sides of the pan. You can use binder clips to secure the parchment.
In a large bowl, combine the grated cassava (Yucca or sweet potatoes, if you are substituting,) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt until well-incorporated. Pour into the parchment-lined pan.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, until fully set. Meanwhile, mix together all ingredients for the custard topping.
Remove the pan from oven and spread custard topping on the baked Cassava Cake. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the custard has set and is slightly golden brown on the top.

Coconut Topping (Optional)

Toss the coconut chips in the brown sugar. Remove the cassava cake from the oven and sprinkle the coconut mixture on top. Place under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes, until the top is golden.
Set aside to cool. Slice and enjoy! This tastes best warm out of the oven or room temperature.