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Trinidad cassava pone
Pone: baked grated cassava, coconut and pumpkin cake
Come December, trays of pone sit on every Trinidadian sideboard next to the black cake and sweet bread, cut into sticky squares for visitors who drop by between parang parties. It is made from raw grated cassava, fresh coconut and pumpkin, bound with evaporated milk, brown sugar and warm spices, then baked until the edges caramelise and the middle turns dense and chewy, a little like a fudgy bread pudding. The usual mistake is cutting it hot: pone only firms up into clean squares once it has cooled completely. Never eat cassava raw; it must be fully baked through. Chef's tip: squeeze a handful of the grated cassava over the sink before mixing, as excess starchy water makes the pone gummy rather than chewy.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb cassavapeeled, woody core removed, finely grated (or frozen grated cassava, thawed)
- 7 oz fresh coconutfinely grated (or unsweetened desiccated, soaked in 100 ml hot water)
- 9 oz pumpkinpeeled, finely grated
- 8 oz soft brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups evaporated milk
- 2 ⅞ oz buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmegfreshly grated
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 23 x 33 cm baking tin with a little of ¼ oz butter.
Step 2: Squeeze 1 ½ lb cassava by the handful to press out the loose starchy liquid, then put it in a large bowl with 7 oz fresh coconut and 9 oz pumpkin.
10 minStep 3: Stir in 8 oz soft brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp fresh ginger and ½ tsp salt until the spices are evenly spread through.
Step 4: Pour in 1 ¼ cups evaporated milk, the rest of 2 ½ oz butter and 2 tsp vanilla extract and mix well. The batter should be thick and wet, like porridge; add a splash of water if it looks dry.
Step 5: Spread the mixture evenly in the tin and smooth the top.
3 minStep 6: Bake for 55–65 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges have pulled away from the tin and look caramelised, and a knife pushed into the centre comes out sticky but not wet or raw-looking.
60 minStep 7: Leave to cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours, before cutting into squares. Pone keeps for 4 days covered in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does trinidad cassava pone take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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