Cassava and Coconut Bake (Bombocado)
Bombocado Say it: bohn-boh-KAH-doo
Bombocado is a traditional Brazilian baked dessert that turns grated cassava (mandioca) and shredded coconut into a moist, golden pudding-cake. It is a staple of home baking and church-fair tables, especially in Minas Gerais and the southeast, and it descends from the Portuguese colonial sweet kitchen, where egg yolks, coconut and sugar were folded into local roots. The texture is dense and custardy, the flavour sweet and tropical, with crisp golden edges and a soft, coconut-scented crumb.
Cassava and Coconut Bake (Bombocado)
Bombocado
Pronounced bohn-boh-KAH-doo
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a 9 by 9 inch (23 by 23 cm) baking dish and set it aside.
Cut the peeled cassava into chunks, slice out the tough woody core, then grate it finely on the small holes of a box grater (or pulse it in a food processor until it resembles coarse sand). You should have about 2 packed cups, 400 g.
If the grated cassava feels very wet, squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel over the sink to release the excess liquid, then loosen it again with your fingers.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar for about 2 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened.
Whisk in the coconut milk, whole milk, melted butter and salt until smooth.
Stir in the grated cassava and the shredded coconut until everything is evenly combined and the mixture looks like a thick, wet batter.
Pour into the buttered dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges have pulled slightly away from the sides and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
Set the dish on a rack and let it cool completely, at least 1 hour, so the pudding firms up before you cut it into 8 squares.
Regional variant: Bombocado de Coco com Queijo (coconut and cheese bombocado)
Made in Minas Gerais without cassava: whisk 4 eggs with 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar, then fold in 2 cups (200 g) shredded coconut, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, 2 tbsp (30 g) melted butter, 3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour and 1 cup (100 g) crumbled queijo minas frescal or feta. Bake in a buttered dish at 350°F (175°C) for 35 to 40 minutes until set and spotted golden; cool and cut into squares. It is softer and saltier-sweet.
Cook's notes
- Grate the cassava as finely as you can; coarse shreds stay stringy in the baked pudding.
- Let it cool fully in the dish — cutting while hot makes it crumble.
- For a crisper top, scatter an extra 2 tbsp (15 g) of shredded coconut over the batter before baking.
Serve with
Serve at room temperature with strong coffee or a glass of cold milk.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 3 days covered in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature or warm briefly in a low oven before serving.
