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Bolo de puba
Fermented cassava cake
Bolo de puba (bolo de mandioca puba): Northeast Brazilian fermented cassava and coconut cake
In Bahia, Pernambuco and Maranhão the afternoon and early-morning coffee table often carries a slab of bolo de puba, a dense, custardy cake made from puba, cassava that has been soaked until it ferments and softens into a tangy white paste. Coconut milk, grated coconut, eggs and butter turn it into something between a cake and a pudding, with a caramel-brown crust and a moist, slightly springy middle; it is especially loved around the June São João festivals. Puba is sold in Brazilian and African grocers as massa puba or carimã; it contains no wheat, so the cake is naturally gluten free. The common mistake is cutting it hot: it sets as it cools and will be gummy if sliced too early. Chef's tip: squeeze the puba in a clean cloth first if it is very wet, so the batter is thick enough to hold the coconut in suspension rather than letting it sink.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb fermented cassava paste (massa puba)squeezed if very wet
- 10 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 eggslarge
- 2 ⅞ oz unsalted buttersoftened, plus a little for the tin
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 ½ oz grated coconutfresh or unsweetened desiccated
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powdergluten-free
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 24 cm round tin or a 20 × 30 cm baking dish.
Step 2: If 1 ⅛ lb fermented cassava paste (massa puba) is sloppy, wrap it in a clean tea towel and squeeze out the liquid over the sink until it feels like a soft, crumbly dough.
Step 3: In a large bowl beat 10 ½ oz caster sugar with 2 ⅞ oz unsalted butter for 2 minutes until pale. Beat in 3 eggs one at a time.
3 minStep 4: Crumble in the puba, then beat in ¾ cup coconut milk and ¾ cup whole milk a little at a time until the batter is smooth, thick and pourable, with no lumps of puba left.
3 minStep 5: Stir in 3 ½ oz grated coconut, ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp baking powder until just even.
Step 6: Pour into the tin and bake for 50–55 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges pull away from the tin and a skewer in the centre comes out moist but not wet.
55 minStep 7: Cool in the tin for at least 1 hour before slicing; the cake firms up as it cools. Serve in squares with black coffee. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolo de puba take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 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 caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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