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Torta de Almidón

Name: Torta de Almidón
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 3 cups cassava starch (almidón; substitute: tapioca starch); 1 cup sugar; 4 large eggs, separated; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened); 1 tbsp orange zest; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp anise seeds (optional); 1/4 tsp salt

A delicate, golden cassava-starch cake with a tender crumb and a hint of coconut and citrus — Paraguay’s lovely answer to tea time.

⏱ 20 minPrep time

🔥 45 minCook time

🍽 10Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Torta de almidón is a classic Paraguayan cake made with cassava starch, which gives it a uniquely light, tender crumb with a delicate crispness at the edges. Perfumed with coconut, citrus zest, and a little anise, it’s the cake that appears at birthdays, mate afternoons, and every family coffee.

Cassava starch, the secret to a cloud-soft crumb

Unlike wheat-flour cakes, this one is moist, fine-textured, and almost creamy in the middle, with a golden, slightly crackly top. The coconut and orange zest keep it fragrant and bright — lovely plain, or dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

Paraguayan recipes →

Step by stepInstructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
Mix in the coconut, orange zest, and anise seeds.
Whisk the cassava starch, baking powder, and salt together, then fold them into the batter alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them gently into the batter.
Pour into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack; serve warm or at room temperature.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Folding in the beaten whites is what gives this cake its cloud-like texture — be gentle. The cake keeps 4 days in an airtight container and freezes well for 2 months.

Recipe details

Prep20 min

Cook45 min

Servings10

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Torta de Almidón

Cassava starch, the secret to a cloud-soft crumb

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Torta de Almidón

Cassava starch, the secret to a cloud-soft crumb

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

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Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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