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Bolo de mandioca
Grated cassava and coconut cake
Bolo de mandioca: dense, sticky cake of grated raw cassava, coconut and butter
Grated raw cassava makes a cake unlike any flour cake: heavy, sticky and pudding-like, with a chewy golden crust and a moist, almost translucent middle. Bolo de mandioca (or bolo de aipim in Rio) is baked all over Brazil, sold by the slice at roadside stands in the interior of Bahia and Minas, and is a regular at June festivals next to the corn cakes. Coconut milk and grated coconut make it fragrant, butter makes it rich. Fresh cassava is sold in Latin, African and Caribbean shops; frozen peeled cassava is fine once thawed. Raw cassava must be fully cooked, and baking this long is enough. A classic error is blending in the fibrous core of the root, which leaves woody threads in the cake; cut it out first. Chef's tip: squeeze a little of the liquid out of the grated cassava in a cloth before mixing, and the cake gets a firmer, more cake-like texture without turning dry.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb fresh cassava (mandioca)peeled, core removed, finely grated; or thawed frozen cassava
- 3 eggs
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- 2 ⅞ oz buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 22 cm round tin or a 20 × 30 cm dish well.
Step 2: Put the grated 2 ¼ lb fresh cassava (mandioca) in a clean cloth and squeeze gently over the sink to remove about half its liquid; it should be damp, not dripping.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk 3 eggs and 10 ½ oz sugar for 2 minutes, until pale. Whisk in 2 ⅞ oz butter, ¾ cup coconut milk and ½ cup whole milk.
2 minStep 4: Stir in the cassava, 2 ⅞ oz grated fresh or desiccated coconut and ½ tsp salt until evenly mixed; the batter is thick and lumpy, which is right.
Step 5: Spread in the tin and bake for 50–55 minutes, until deep golden on top, pulling from the sides, and a skewer comes out clean of raw batter (it will look moist).
55 minStep 6: Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares; it firms up as it cools.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo de mandioca take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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