Cassava Cake (Enyucado)

 

The Recipe

Makes: 1 x 20cm (8’) square cake
Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 40-45 minutes

“Cassava has been a significant crop of survival and symbolism for the Indigenous people of the Americas.”

Enyucado is a popular cake made predominately in Colombia, however, variations of it can be found in other countries within the region where yuca/cassava is a staple such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and El Salvador.  

This not overly sweet and dense cake is the perfect example of the culinary evolution in the Americas. Yuca, originating on the continent, mixed with coconut, a reflection of African and Caribbean influence all mixed with cheese, a Spanish import.

You can read more about Cassava and its importance throughout history in the Americas HERE, or we can push on with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS


450g grated yuca
150g grated coconut
2 medium eggs (50g each)
150g full cream milk
75g melted butter
280g piloncillo (or coconut sugar, caster sugar is also ok)
160g softened cream cheese
130g caster sugar
Condensed milk to serve

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to around 170’C

  2. Heat caster sugar over a medium heat until golden brown Pour into baking tray and allow it ti set

  3. Peel the cassava and grate coarsely, squeeze out any excess liquid and set aside

  4. in a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar until the sugar has dissolved

  5. Then mix in cream cheese, milk, coconut, butter and lastly the grated cassava

  6. Mix well until combined - the batter is very dense but this is what we want!

  7. Pour into the lined cake tray and tap to spread the mixture evenly

  8. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes

  9. Take out, and allow to cool before turning it out of the tin completely, alternatively, you can pour condensed milk straight onto the cake in the pan and spoon the cake into a bowl.

Orange & Almond Cake - the perfect match

 

The Recipe

Makes: 1 x 23cm (9’) round cake
Preparation: 1.5 hrs (ish)
Baking Time: 50-60mins

“The colour orange was derived from the fruit! Before then the colour was described as yellow-red”

Orange and Almond Cake

It really is the perfect match of sweet, moist, moreish goodness. Boiling the oranges and baking the cake takes up most of the preparation time in this cake, however, it is worth it.

Oranges are technically classified as berries due to their soft interior and hard rind. They were once a luxury and now are one of the most common fruits in the world, with Brazil being the largest producer of these Vitamin C powerhouses.

Versatile in every way - they can be eaten raw, juiced, included in sweet and savoury dishes as well as essential oils and beauty products. I like them because they are available all year round, and I always try different varieties whenever I pick them up.

This cake was made with Argentinian oranges with a thinner skin and juicy interior. I would recommend using a thinner skin variety of oranges to cut down preparation time, and toreduce the bitterness (which comes from the pith).

I decorated the cake with sliced candied oranges, or you can simply dust it with some icing sugar to save on time.

INGREDIENTS

3 - 4 oranges (thin skin variety)
6 medium eggs
125g caster sugar
125g coconut sugar (you can use brown sugar if you like)
250g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)

DECORATION (OPTIONAL)
1 - 2 sliced oranges (around 8mm thick)
100g caster sugar
150g water
cook in shallow pan on medium heat until orange slices are soft
top with orange syrup

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to around 170’C

  2. Prepare the cake tin by buttering it and lining it with baking paper

  3. Thoroughly scrub and wash oranges in warm water to remove wax and excess dirt

  4. Boil the oranges for around 1.5 hours on a medium heat until they are soft all the way through

  5. Once the oranges are soft, run cold water over them and roughly chop them. Blend until smooth (skin and all).

  6. In a large bowl, crack eggs and beat them with both the sugars until the sugar has dissolved

  7. Add in the blended oranges

  8. Fold in ground almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt

  9. Place batter into the lined baking tin and bake for 50-60minutes

  10. Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a cooling rack

  11. Dust with icing sugar or decorate with candied oranges… buttercream will also work!

  12. Enjoy with a big scoop of double cream

Coconut Lime Cake with Gula Melaka Caramel

 

The Recipe

Makes: 8 slices
Preparation: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 30-35 minutes

“To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of coconut and coconut cream can be a little challenging on my stomach, however, I always stop by the fresh coconut stall at the market that grates coconut to order.”

I have lived in Southeast Asia for a big chunk of my life and despite the time spent here, the markets throughout the region never ceases to amaze me.
From the variety of chillies in Thailand to the plethora of herbs and flowers in Cambodia, I see and learn every time I venture into the markets.
This is what I love about anything related to food, its constant journey of learning!

To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of coconut and coconut cream can be a little challenging on my stomach, however, I always stop by the fresh coconut stall at the market that grates coconut to order. I always purchase it and arrive home thinking, hmmm what do I do with this now??

Bake it, in a cake, with lime and drench it in gula Melaka caramel, and that is what I did.

Oh and you can read more about what GULA MELAKA IS HERE.

INGREDIENTS

Preparation time 15 minutes
Baking Time 30-35 minutes
Serves 8

Cake
225g unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
2 limes, zest and juice
1 tsp good vanilla extract
30mls coconut milk

225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1.4 tsp salt
225g fresh coconut (or dried and rehydrated)

20g grated gula Melaka

METHOD

Preheat the oven to around 170’C and line a 20cm square cake tin (you can use a round one if you fancy)
Add butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream the two until nice and fluffy. Continue to beat in lime juice and zest, coconut milk, and vanilla extract.
Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk gently, then add them to the buttery mixture
Once combined, ditch the mixture and grab a spatula to fold in sifted flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
Finally, add in the coconut milk and stir.
Place the batter in the lined cake tin and grate gula Melaka over the top.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, when a sharp knife is inserted in the centre, it should come out clean – meaning it is already!
Allow to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a cooling tray.
This cake is quite crumbly, so allow it to cool completely before slicing it into squares.
Serve slices with good vanilla bean ice cream, berries, and gula Melaka caramel.

Gula Melaka Caramel

Never heard of gula Melaka? Read more about it here. If gula melaka is not available where you live, it can be substituted for brown sugar or coconut sugar.

225g gula Melaka
80mls cream or coconut milk
50g unsalted butter
Salt

1. Chop gula Melaka into small pieces
2. Place gula Melaka, with a tablespoon of water, heat until the gula melaka has melted and continue cooking until the mixture has slightly thickened.
3. Lower the heat and mix in salt, butter and cream or coconut milk
4. Stir until combined and heat until the caramel reaches to the desired consistency.
5. Drip generously over the cake.