Bolo de Mandioca

(Cassava Pudding Cake) 

This moist, pudding-like cake is the Brazilian equivalent to the Pound Cake.  Typically homemade, it can be baked in a sheet pan and cut into squares or for a more elegant appearance, bake it in a tube pan and garnish it with grated coconut.

Ingredients

 2 lbs.            -Frozen Grated Fresh Cassava* 

 1 lbs.            -Frozen Grated Fresh Coconut*

 2.5 cups      -Granulated Sugar 

 1 tsp.            -Vanilla

 2 cups          -Whole Milk

 4                   -Whole Eggs 

 2                   -Egg Yolk

½ cup            -(1 stick) Melted Unsalted Butter 

*Frozen grated cassava and frozen grated coconut can be found in ethnic produce stores in the Asian/Filipino section of the store.  Of course, you can always grate the coconut and cassava yourself!

Directions

1. Thaw frozen cassava and coconut in refrigerator until soft but yet cold.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Mix well cassava, coconut, sugar, vanilla and milk. Beat eggs and yolks separately until well blended and add to cassava mix. 
4. Add melted butter to cassava and mix the batter well.
5. Butter tube pan and dust it with granulated sugar. This will give a nice shiny caramel finish to the cake. 
6. Fill pan with cassava mix until 1.2 inch from rim. 
7. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. When done, cake should be heavy and solid to the touch. If knife is inserted, it will come out a little gooey, but not runny. 
8. Cool cake completely.  It is best served at room temperature.
9. Garnish with grated lightly toasted coconut – or not.
10. Enjoy.