Tapai Cake
This Tapai Cake is an irresistible, soft, fluffy, moist, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth treat with the unique signature fermented cassava flavor.
Have you ever tried or heard cassava tapai before? Cassava tapai is a traditional fermented food in Indonesia, made from fermenting cassava with rice yeast. It is soft, sweet, yeasty, slightly tangy, and alcoholic, totally a different taste from your usual cassava.
Some people love it and others hate it due to its strong and unique taste. However, everyone seems to agree that Tapai Cake is simply a yummy treat. Tapai cake or also known as “bolu tape” in Indonesian is an old-fashioned cake, featuring a soft, fluffy, sweet buttery cake with a subtle fermented cassava taste. The addition of tapai also makes the cake extra moist, ridiculously rich, and decadent.
How to Prepare Cassava Tapai for Making This Cake
The recipe starts with 300 gr cassava tapai. Make sure it is perfectly fermented, soft and moist inside, but not too watery. If your cassava tapai is still freshly made, I recommend letting it sit in the refrigerator for several days for better flavor. The longer you ferment it, the sweeter and more tapai flavor you have in the cake. When you are ready to use it for baking, discard the hard stem in the middle and mash tapai with a fork until smooth.
Topping Options
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Raisins
- Cranberries
- Slivered almonds
- Chocolate chips
How to Make Tapai Cake
- Mash the cassava tapai with a fork.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Then, add egg yolks, vanilla extract, and mashed tapai. Beat until well combined.
- Sift in all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer until frothy and bubbly. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed until stiff peak.
- Add 1/3 white egg mixture into the tapai mixture. Fold gently until well incorporated. Add another 1/3 white egg mixture and fold in until well incorporated. Add the remaining egg white and fold until well combined.
- Pour and spread the batter into the 9-inch/22 cm square pan.
- Sprinkle toppings of your choice on top, if desired.
- Bake at 340F/170ºC for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing it. Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
Bolu Tape (Tapai Cake)
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz (300 gr) cassava tapai/fermented cassava
- 1 cup (225 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 gr) granulated sugar, divided
- 5 eggs, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping Options
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Raisins
- Chocolate chips
- Slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340F/170°C. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch/22 cm square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Separate eggs into egg yolks and egg whites. Refrigerate the egg whites.
- Mash tapai – Remove the hard spine in the middle of the cassava tapai. Mash tapai with a fork until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients – With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together butter and 1/2 cup sugar (100 gr) on medium-high speed until white and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and mashed tapai. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients – Sift in all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Set aside.
- Beat egg whites – Add cold egg whites into a clean mixing bowl. Make sure there is no oil or water in the bowl. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy and bubbly. Slowly add 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 gr), little by little while the mixer runs. Once all the sugar has been added, increase the mixer speed to high and beat until stiff peaks and glossy. Turn the whisk upside down and those peaks should point straight up without collapsing at all.
- Fold batter – Add 1/3 egg whites into the tapai mixture and fold in gently until incorporated. Then, fold in another 1/3 egg whites into the mixture. Lastly, pour the remaining egg white and fold until well combined.
- Pour and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Flatten the top with the spatula and tap on the counter a couple of times to release the air bubbles.
- Top with toppings (optional). If using raisins, make sure to soak them for 10-15 minutes before using them.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
