This is an uncomplicated cake with subtle flavoring. If you want, you can make decorative swirls of lime zest or even a thin lime slice or wedge to top each square of cake. If you want more lime flavor, you can add more lime zest to the cake batter and just use more lime juice in place of the coconut milk in the icing. I think it has good bounce and lift, and the egg whites folded into the batter right before baking help it from being too gummy and dense. I reworked this magic cassava coconut cake recipe, so that it’s not magic anymore. It’s still magic to me, though. 🙂

Mom was a big fan of the cassava cake, and it was recently her birthday a couple of days ago, and so we made this cassava cake to celebrate in her memory. She would’ve been 89 on the 26th.

lime coconut cassava snack cake

zest of 1-2 limes

3/4 cup of gluten-free all-purpose flour

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons and 1/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice, divided use

1 pound grated cassava, thawed, drained of excess water

1/2 cup macapuno with syrup, chopped so that there are no long strands

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup coconut cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg whites

For the coconut lime icing:

2 Tablespoons coconut milk

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1 and 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

method:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease a 9” x 9” square pan, place a parchment paper that overhangs in two opposite sides, for easy removal of cake, then grease again. Set aside. You can also use an 8″ x 8″ square pan, but increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.

Zest lime(s) and reserve the juice for both the cake and the icing later.

Combine the flour, confectioner’s sugar, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl, then add the zest to it as well and stir with a whisk to disperse all the ingredients in the flour. Set aside.

If the grated cassava is frozen, thaw it out by placing in the refrigerator overnight. Empty contents into a strainer or sieve over a bowl to drain excess water, if any.

Remove macapuno coconut from jar along with the thick syrup that will be sticking to it. You don’t have to remove the syrup. Chop the each macapuno strand into small pieces so that there are no large chunks.

In a large bowl, add 2 Tablespoons lime juice, the cassava, the macapuno, the coconut milk, coconut cream, and the vanilla. Beat with an electric hand held mixer until all is incorporated together. 

Add the flour mixture and beat on low until all the flour is moistened. Do not overmix. Set aside.

In a medium bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon lime juice on medium speed until stiff peaks form. The lime juice is an acid and so it dentures the egg white proteins which help make them stable.

Add a third of the egg whites at a time to the cake batter, folding it in before continuing to add the whites in thirds until all the egg whites are incorporated into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick test comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the cake. Edges should be very lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before lifting parchment paper to remove cake from pan.

While cake is cooling, make the icing by whisking all the icing ingredients together. Icing should be thick and shiny, pourable and spreadable with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. If icing is too thick, zap it in the microwave for a several seconds to make it more pourable. Do not heat too much.

Spread it evenly to fall slowly down the sides of the cake. Cut into squares or rectangles. Store leftovers in covered container in refrigerator, but let cake return to room temperature before serving.