This AIP Baked Cassava Cake is a version of an Asian dessert that tastes absolutely delicious alongside a cup of tea or as a dessert.
This recipe comes from a Vietnamese Cassava Cake called Bánh khoai mì. It’s made mostly from shredded cassava (not the flour but the actually root) and coconut milk. While it’s a delicious dish and is naturally AIP, I was inspired by Caribbean and Filipino versions of this dessert and added shredded coconut. Nutmeg is a common spice that’s added in the Caribbean version s of this dessert. Since nutmeg isn’t AIP, I added orange zest instead. I thought it gave the dessert a little more depth of flavor.
What is cassava cake made of?
This AIP dessert is made of cassava, coconut, orange, and honey. It also has some tapioca flour, which actually comes from the cassava plant. I talk more about the differences between tapioca flour, cassava flour and whole cassava in this post. If you're looking for a cassava free cake, try this Paleo Carrot Cake without Nuts.
How do you grate cassava?
You need to peel the whole cassava then grate the white part. Or you can just buy pre-shredded cassava. I find mine in the frozen section. It’s super cheap and widely available in Asian markets. It’s seriously only $.99 at my local market so it’s absolutely worth it to buy the frozen shredded cassava vs. making it myself.
What’s the difference between shredded (or grated) cassava and cassava flour?
Shredded cassava is the from the whole root. It’s just been peeled and shredded. Cassava flour also comes from the whole root but it’s been peeled, dried and ground. Again I talk more about the differences between these and tapioca flour in this post.
How to make AIP Baked Cassava Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a loaf pan with parchment.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.
- Pour into prepared baking pan then bake for 1 hour or until sides are golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve room temperature or chilled.
Tips for making the best AIP Baked Cassava Cake
- You can find whole cassava or frozen at your local Asian Market. Cassava is also called yucca.
- Shredded frozen cassava is very affordable and a great way to make this recipe a little bit easier to prepare.
- You’re going to need parchment paper and a loaf pan for this recipe.
If you like this AIP dessert, you’ll love these AIP dessert recipes
- Strawberry Rhubarb Panna Cotta
- AIP Mango Sticky Rice
- Fruit Filled King Cake
- AIP Grilled Peaches
- AIP Coconut Date Bars
- Bao Bing
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AIP Baked Cassava Cake
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 pound Cassava shredded (if frozen, thawed)
- 1 cup Shredded Coconut
- 1 Orange zested
- 3/4 cup Honey
- 3/4 cup Coconut Cream
- 1 tablespoon Tapioca Flour
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Powder I used Kiva
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.
- Pour into the prepared loaf pan then bake for 1 hour or until the edges are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven then allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
- You can find whole cassava or frozen at your local Asian Market. Cassava is also called yucca.
- Shredded frozen cassava is very affordable and a great way to make this recipe a little bit easier to prepare.
- You’re going to need parchment paper and a loaf pan for this recipe.
- I use this brand of vanilla bean powder.
- Make sure that your coconut cream is AIP friendly. I use this brand.
Nutrition
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
- I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
- The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing your thoughts on my recipes so please rate and comment below.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean powder? Quantity?
Yes! Generally you'll want to do 1 part vanilla powder to 2 parts vanilla extract.
I don't recommend using fresh cassava with recipe - the excess starch gives it a bitter taste that mostly drowns out the orange flavor from the zest. The fresh cassava also gives it a sort of birds nest kind of look and texture - nothing like pictures suggest.
If you are using fresh cassava, you definitely need to boil the cassava first. It requires a lot more prep. That may be why the texture and taste is off. Using frozen cassava which has already been prepared is much easier, for sure!
Would the texture be fine if I enjoy it as thawed cake out of the freezer, taking it on a long haul plane ride? I ask since certain AIP baked goods would require reheating to get it back to its right texture. Thanks, Beth.
I've never put this cake in the freezer so I'm not sure how it would react after it was frozen.
Hey there, looks delicious.
Somethings not adding up for me here. It says 1 pound of grated cassava, which is 450ish grams. Thats a lot. Mixed with the other ingredients, my mixture comes out immensely thick to the point i hardly can mix it together.
What am i doing wrong here?
Thanks in advance
I'm not sure. As you can see from the photos, the pound of cassava I used was frozen. If you are using fresh then the water content may be slightly different. And the batter is supposed to be somewhat thick. It looks deceptively thin in the photo but I assure you it's thick. What happened when you baked it?
This is always great, hot or cold, and it can be easily reheated in the microwave if you like it warm. As it always happens though, by the time it cools, I've already eaten half of it, it's so good.
I make this cake a lot. I personally prefer it with half the honey and a ton more citrus zest. And don't skip the parchment paper, if you do, good luck getting it out of the pan.
Thanks for this great and easy recipe!
I'm so glad you like this recipe. It's good to hear that it's become part of your regular rotation of recipes.
Have you ever freeze the leftover? How did it go? Thanks!
OMG. So soooo good. Literally bursting with flavor and super healthy, PERFECT with a cup of organic tea. Wow thank you. Everyone must try this!
Wow! Thanks for sharing. And I hope everyone does try it!!!
Have you ever freeze the leftover? How did it go? Thanks!
Thanks for this great recipe! Quick question: I'm confused about the orange. Do I add the whole orange without the zest? Or just the zest of 1 orange? or both?
Just add the zest from 1 orange.
Made this into cupcakes and it was delicious! I used 1/2 cup honey instead of 3/4 cup and it was still way too sweet for me though. I will probably use 1/4 cup next time and maybe add some extra coconut cream if it needs more liquid.
Cupcakes! That's a great idea. I' so glad you enjoyed them.
Did you end up testing this recipe with only 1/4 cup of honey? If so, how was the texture? I am baking mine with 1/4 cup of honey with frozen shredded cassava (I hope the moisture being released from the frozen cassava would make up the liquid content for the missing honey). Fingers crossed
Love this! Easy and compliant recipe. I definitely liked the cake more on day two after it settle a bit. Ate it as a treat with tea every morning.
That's a good tip. Thanks for sharing. I'm so happy that you enjoyed this recipe.
Have you ever freeze the leftover? How did it go? Thanks!