Our Taste of Home: Cassava Cake

by Amelia Vernon

One of the best things about growing up in a Tongan-Belizean household was the diverse foods I had the pleasure of eating. As a child with a huge sweet tooth, I always looked forward to any dessert I could get my hands on, but of all the dishes that brought me joy, the one that is most reminiscent of “home” would be cassava cake (also known as cassava pudding/pone). The aroma of it baking in the oven immediately raised the spirits (and hunger!) of everyone in the house. After my Belizean grandmother passed her special recipe over to my mother, it went from being a rare holiday treat to a weekly essential that I learned to make by heart. I’ll always fondly associate this dish with both sides of my family, representing a combination of cultures coming together since cassava is also a staple in my mom’s Tongan family, and they enjoyed this cake immensely as well.

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The preparation of the cassava can be a bit tedious, but the final product is well worth the work. After peeling and blending about two pounds of cassava, add two cans of coconut milk and two cups of brown sugar. Add some margarine, nutmeg, and vanilla, then combine well. After letting it sit for a few minutes, add the mixture to a greased pan. Allow it to bake for an hour and 45 minutes, and finally after letting it cool, time to eat! (Tip: Just like with brownies, make sure to eat the edge first! Trust me.)

This Belizean delicacy will always comfortingly remind me of childhood but also of the hard work my family put into growing the cassava back home and their stewardship of the land that provided them with these resources and sustenance. This dish holds so much history for my people and will always be more than just a dessert; it carries such sentimental value, and I can't wait to continue passing it on and spreading the joy.