Coconut Cassava Cake

Cassava is one of Papua New Guinea’s most reliable staples, thriving in poor soil where other crops struggle, and it makes a surprisingly wonderful dessert. Grated cassava is mixed with coconut milk and sugar and baked until the top turns golden and sticky, the edges slightly caramelized. The result is a cake that is dense, moist, and deeply coconutty.

What makes cassava cake great is its chewy, pudding-like texture. It is not a light, fluffy cake but something richer and more satisfying, with a caramelized crust that gives way to a soft, sweet interior. It keeps well for days, if it lasts that long, and is perfect with a cup of tea.

Papua New Guinea recipes →