Cassava Cakes--Banh Khoai Mi Nuong

Cassava or yuca are woody shrubs growing natively in South America and is a crop in tropical regions of Southeast Asia. It is a major source of carbohydrates, but really poor in protein. Yuca is a starchy root that is well-suited to feed the hungry. Yuca's sap is considered a minor toxin that could harm the body, so yuca dishes should be prepared with caution. Unfortunately, this starchy root is very delicious and can be prepared in a various ways as an accompaniment for meat dishes or puréed to make soup, like Western creamy potato soup, or it can be used as the stuffing for dumplings. The Cassava root can be turned into tapioca starch or Manioc flour in Brazil; this flour is the main ingredient used to prepare the very well known Brazilian Cheese Bread. Growing up in a poor family, I tasted the cassava in so many delicious dishes that my mother could prepare for us. Baked Yuca cake was one of my mother's ways to reward her children when they got good grades or helped her with chores. My mother always soaked cassava root a few hours before proceeding. But reader, this cake is so wonderful that you will overcome the small risk that might occur :). I have loved this cake and tried my way to include other ingredients to complete this sweet-chewy-tasty cake. Fresh cassava root tastes much better but preparing it is more time-consuming.Thanks to modern technology these days, we can have the frozen cassava ready to prepare this cake in less time, and the result is still fantastic.
Ingredients:
One bag 16 oz frozen cassava, drained and liquid discarded
1 cup cooked mung beans, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet rice flour (bot nep)
1 tbs vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbs butter or margarine, softened

Directions:
Preheat oven set to 375°. Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan with half of soft butter and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and dot with the remaining soft butter. Bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing.