A traditional nyonya kuih made with grated cassava and coconut milk mixture is baked to give you a cake that is naturally gluten-free, not too sweet, soft, and springy with a crispy crust at the same time. The recipe can be made with or without egg.
OMG! Yes…this bingka ubi kayu is like one of my most favorite cakes ever! I know I have lots of favorites, but this is TRULY one of my favorites after Candied Cassava with Coconut Milk! I love tapioca/cassava! I have like serious OD when it comes to cassava or what we call ubi kayu in Indonesian. I can eat steamed or fried cassava roots on its own dipped in a bit of salt! Yeah..that’s the kind of snack I grew up eating. Cassava and tapioca mean the same thing in case you are wondering and I’ll use them interchangeably in this post.
ONE OF THE EASIEST CAKE TO MAKE
This cake is almost impossible to fail if you ask me. You only need one bowl and add everything in there. Stir and bake. I used frozen grated cassava I bought from the store so it saved me some work from having to cut the cassava. Cassava has tough outer layer skin and honestly, I hate to cut cassava by hands 🙂
INGREDIENTS
1. Cassava/Tapioca Root
You can use fresh cassava or frozen and already grated. You can’t substitute with just tapioca starch however
2. Coconut Milk
This adds richness to the cake. I used Asian canned unsweetened coconut milk. Do not use the coconut milk sold as a beverage, they don’t give much flavor if at all
3. Sugar
I use granulated sugar. You can use Keto-friendly sugar like monk fruit sugar
4. Egg
The egg acts as a binder and also gives the cake its soft moist texture. Simply omit for eggless version and refer to the recipe card
5. Grated unsweetened coconut (for eggless bingka ubi)
This is available at most Asian grocery store. They are usually in the frozen section
6. Oil
I used neutral-tasting oil like avocado or grapeseeds oil. Feel free to use melted butter or melted coconut oil (same amount called for in the recipe) if you want
7. Salt
A pinch goes a long way and it brings out the overall flavor
HOW TO EASILY MAKE KUIH BINGKA UBI KAYU WITH OR WITHOUT EGG
1. Preheat oven at 410 F (210 C) for conventional oven. For convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to mix until combined.
2. Line the bottom of the pan with a banana leaf or parchment paper. I just use non-stick cooking spray. The cake is easy to remove once it cools down and won’t stick to the pan. Pour the batter in and smooth the top with a rubber spatula the best you can. It won’t be perfectly smooth.
3. Pour the batter in and smooth the top with rubber spatula the best you can. Place this inside the oven, 3rd rack from the top and let it bake for the next 1 hour . The cake shouldn’t jiggle when you shake the pan. If you insert a skewer, it may not come out entirely clean because it’s still very hot. If it’ still wet, bake another 5 minutes and check again
4. Let the cake cools down for at least 1 hour before cutting into the size you like
This is a cake that doesn’t require many skills (totally suits me!). Now the family finished this in one day! I baked a pretty small one though, which I regretted! My kids absolutely love this bingka ubi kayu.
EGGLESS BINGKA UBI KAYU
Eggless bingka ubi kayu is very tasty too. It may not have the nice yellow tone the egg version has, but the texture and flavor are still pretty spot on. You can add turmeric powder for the yellow color if you like. The addition of grated unsweetened coconut and adjusting the amount of liquid in the recipe makes this recipe vegan-friendly now and I’m pretty happy with the taste. I made this in a wide pan instead of a loaf pan and that’s why it’s much shorter.
DID YOU MAKE THIS EASY KUIH BINGKA UBI KAYU RECIPE?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
*The Recipe was last published in 2018 and has been updated to improve the recipe in March 2023*
Kuih Bingka Ubi Kayu (Baked Cassava/Tapioca Cake) – Egg or Eggless version
Ingredients
With egg version:
- 500 g frozen grated cassava (thawed)
- 125 g sugar you can reduce to 100-115 g if you prefer less sweet
- 200 ml thick coconut milk
- 20 g cooking oil plus more for brushing
- 1 large egg about 50 grams without shell
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 g tapioca starch you can use arrowroot starch, potato starch, or cornstarch
Eggless version:
- 500 g frozen grated cassava (thawed) 1.1 lbs. squeeze out extra liquid if you think it's too much liquid after thawing
- 125 g sugar
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 20 g cooking oil plus more for brushing
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 g tapioca starch you can use arrowroot starch, potato starch, or cornstarch
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder optional, for yellow color
For brushing:
- 1 Tbsp oil
- ½ tsp honey optional
Instructions
If you use fresh cassava:
- Peel the skin off and cut in the middle and remove the tough core. Use a fine grater to grate the cassava. Don't use a large holes grater. We want the texture of the cassava to be fine and smooth. Squeeze out some of the juice but don't have to squeeze too hard until it's dry. We want some moisture too.
- Save the liquid that you squeeze out. Let the liquid sit for 15-30 minutes while you prepare other things. The starch will sink to the bottom. Carefully discard the liquid and add those starches into the cake batter later. This is important because the starch contributes to that springy texture
Prepare the cake batter:
- You can use 5×5 inch square pan or use a small loaf pan such as 7 x 4 loaf pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a banana leaf or parchment paper for easier removal
- Preheat oven at 410 F (210 C) for conventional oven. For convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F or 15 C. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to mix until combined.
Bake the cake:
- Pour the batter in and smooth the top with rubber spatula the best you can. Place this inside the oven, 3rd rack from the top and let it bake for the next 45 minutes. The cake shouldn't jiggle when you shake the pan. If you insert a skewer, it may not come out entirely clean because it's still very hot. If it' still wet, bake another 5 minutes and check again
Brown the top:
- Combine honey with the oil
- Take the cake out from the oven and brush with some oil. Put it back into the oven and bake for another 15 minutes
Cool down:
- Remove from the oven completely and let it cools down for at least 1 hour before cutting
Storing:
- The cake can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days if it's not too humid, otherwise, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cake will harden once you refrigerate and it's normal. You can reheat in a microwave or loosely wrap them in a foil and use a toaster oven or an air-fryer or oven to reheat at 350 F for 5 minutes or until warm and the cake is soft. I do not recommend freezing the cake because the texture changes
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25 comments
Not quite as expected. A bit short when using a square 7” pan. Also would increase the sugar as it tasted a bit bland
Hi, if I’m using fresh cassava do I still add 1tbsp of starch into the batter?
Hello, yes, you still need to add 1 Tbsp of tapioca starch into the batter whether you are using fresh or frozen cassava.
Thank you for the recipe, however, I find it too sweet. Will try it with half the sugar next time.
Delicious! I made it with the egg. Thanks for the recipe, Marvellina!
I’m glad you like Marcelle 🙂