Casava/Tapioca Cake (kuih bingka ubi kayu)

The casava /tapioca is  a root/tuber, popular and versatile food in asia. It is also well known in Brazil, parts of Africa, in Polynesia and Sri Lanka by the name of manioc/maniok, yuca, kappa, singkong.  We eat it steamed and boiled like potatoes, fried like fritters, grated and steamed....every way but raw.  The young tips/leaves are also wonderful, stirfried with a spicy sauce.  Not only is the tapioca good for eating, it has other uses.  The tapica flour is used as organic glue, as sauce thickener (glutenfree) and starch for laundry (have you seen a shirt which stands on its own?) and in various food industries.

I went to town to pick up some sprouts in the Asian shop and spied the frozen grated casava in the freezer.  YUMM ! An image of casava cake/pudding, flan, cream brulee and caramel all in a package came to my mind.  One of my favourite afternoon snacks, eaten plain or with a palm sugar sauce.

Here is what I made with the grated casava ......

Ingredients:

• 2 packs (500 gm each) frozen grated casava
• 100 gm palm sugar           
• 1 can 400 ml coconut cream (milk)         (save 2 tbsp)
• 1 can 397 g sweetened condensed milk  (save 2 tbsp) 
• 4 eggs (large)                                           (save 1 yolk)
• 100 ml water
• 1 tsp pandan aroma (or vanilla essence)
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 100 gm butter

Method:

1. Set oven temperature at 180°C.
2. Combine condensed milk, salt, water, palm sugar, eggs and coconut milk in a pan and mix thoroughly.
3. Add defrosted casava to the mixed ingredients. Mix again.
4. Cook the mixture at medium, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  Remove from flame/heat soon as mixture thickens and a drawn figure 'S' in mixture does not disappear. 
5. Grease a loaf pan, pour in the half cooked batter
6. Cut butter into small cubes and distribute on surface of  batter.
7. Bake 1 hr or till skewer comes clean when inserted.
8. Mix 'SAVED INGREDIENTS' and pour over cake, bake another 15 minutes.
9. Cool, cut into thin slices and enjoy !

Cook till mixture thickens.

Add butter cubes (already melted) distribute evenly.