Bánh Khoai Mì (Vietnamese Cassava Coconut Cake)

I am not a sweets person in general, and most Vietnamese sweets don't appeal to me. There may be a handful of chè (Vietnamese liquid dessert/pudding). I don't mind the baked goods but I wouldn't really have any craving. Except for bánh khoai mì (khoai mì = cassava), a Vietnamese cake made out of cassava and coconut. When I lived in Vietnam, I would go down the street and buy a slice every few week or so - that was enough to make me happy. Cassava is a root vegetable widely used in Asia, Africa and South America.

Bánh khoai mì does not have the typical texture of a cake. It's a little more sticky and gelatinous. I know that doesn't make it appealing but it's really good. The consistency is due to its two main ingredients: cassava and coconut milk. Though the cassava is grated, you can taste a bit of the fibrous cassava. My favourite part is the caramelized golden exterior of the cake.



Bánh khoai mì (Vietnamese Cassava Coconut Cake)
I've never made this and didn't realize there were so little ingredients. Just three.

* 2 lbs frozen khoai mi
* 1 can coconut milk
* 400 g (about 2 cups) sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Pour in a round or square pan.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or so, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Broil slightly if not golden enough (don't burnt it - like my mom did slightly...)
Allow to cool and slice.
Tada!


You can find this in the freezer section of an Asian grocery store.


Cassava Cake batter.


A nice, sweet treat!

I am submitting this recipe to the 6th edition of Delicious Vietnam, a blogging event featuring Vietnamese food, hosted this month by Javaholic. Details about this month event can be found here.