Surinamese Bojo Cake
Surinamese Bojo Cake is a very easy cake to make and has become one of my favourite cakes. To think that as a child growing up I really didn’t like the cake at all. I don’t know why, cause it’s delicious. Just like the cornflour cookies, Bojo used to be served at every family party and it was always one of the first cakes to be finished. I never understood why, but I do know now, now I just don’t understand what was wrong with me for not liking it in the first place! Bojo is a cassava cake made with grated cassava and coconut. I buy frozen grated cassava but you can also grate fresh cassava. In the Netherlands I buy the frozen grated cassava in an international supermarket. I would suggest you check your local international supermarket for the cassava.
Surinamese Bojo Cake – The original?
Now, let me start by saying this is MY version of the Bojo cake. Basically the Surinamese cuisine is such that every family has their own version on how to make a dish. In this case I have tweaked the Bojo recipe to become a completely vegan recipe. I adjusted it when I had to bake something Surinamese for a friend who was eating vegan for awhile. I liked tweaking the recipe since everyone has their own way of making something and I’ve found my version of this delicious cake. I’m hoping you’ll like it too.
Easy, one bowl cake recipe
Bojo is a cassava cake and very easy to make. All ingredients are mixed up in one bowl before transferring it to your baking tray. Let’s get started:
You’ll need cassava, sugar, coconut milk, sugar, salt, dry grated coconut, raisins, water, melted coconut oil, cinnamon, almond essence and vanilla extract.
Put all your ingredients into a bowl, the cassava.
The cassava has been thawed. Make sure you take your cassava out of the freezer a few hours in advance before you start making the bojo.
Grated coconut.
Sugar and salt.
Raisins. I have a mixed variety of raisins soaked on rum which I use.
Coconut milk.
Coconut oil.
Almond essence.
Vanilla extract. I always use my homemade vanilla extract. It’s definitely worth making it yourself.
Cinnamon.
And a glass of water.
Use a spatula to mix it all up until combined.
And pour it into your baking tray. Yes, that really is all there is to it…
Give your baking tray a little shake so the mixture levels out and put it into the oven and bake till golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
You should end up with a nice golden Bojo like this. Leave the cake to cool in the baking tray.
My mom dug up the Surinamese flag somewhere which I used as the background for this photo 🙂
Cut the Bojo in to squares and serve. Bojo is soft, smooth and just delicious. And this vegan version has gone down well with everyone I’ve served it to. Even my Surinamese family members whom I didn’t tell I made the Bojo vegan!
Try it out and let me know what you think.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 120 minutes |
| Servings |
bojo |
- 5 cups grated cassava 1 kg (a.k.a. yuca, manioc)
- 1/2 cup grated coconut 50 g - you can use dry cocunut
- 1 cup sugar 200 g - you can use cane sugar as well
- 2/3 cup raisins 100 g - a mixed variety. optionally soaked in rum
- 13.66 fl oz coconut milk 400 ml - one can
- 1/4 cup coconut oil 50 g - melted
- 1 tsp almond essence
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup water 250 ml
Ingredients
| |
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C / 350 °F.
- Grease a 30cm x 20cm / 12 inch x 8 inch baking tray.
- Add all the ingredients into a bowl and using a spatula, mix until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the baking tray and bake for roughly an hour and a half to 2 hours until the cake is golden brown and firm at the top. When you put a skewer it shouldn't come out sticky but clean.
- When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave to cool in the baking tray. Once cooled cut into squares and serve.
Please note that the cup measurements in this recipe are approximate. I have added cups for those that prefer using cups. The recipe is most accurate using weights measurements.
- I buy frozen grated cassava at the international supermarket but you can also grate fresh cassava. If you're using frozen cassava make sure to take the cassava out of the freezer a few hours in advance so it's fully thawed when you're going to use it.
- I always have raisins soaked in rum at home so I use those. But if you don't want that you can leave out the rum and soak them in water instead.
Hi there — this looks amazing. Can you use dried grated cassava? If so, would I need to somehow rehydrate it? Thank you!
I’ve never used dried grated cassava, they don’t sell that in my area, so I don’t know. I would think it would need to rehydrate, however, a lot of moisture is added as well so perhaps the moisture is enough to rehydrate the grated cassave. I think you’ll just have to try it.
If I can get my hands on some dried grated cassave I’ll give it a try as well.
Is this cake heavy in weight prior to baking? Someone i know made it and said it weighed 13 lbs. The pan was round 2 in deep and 9in diameter. I just find that a bit ridiculous and hard to believe.
I suppose the cake is slightly heavier versus a regular cake, due to the heavy ingredients that are used (such as the cassava), but 13lbs sounds a bit much. I would have to weigh my pan next time I make it to find out 😀
Do u have to squeeze any of the liquids from the coconut or the casava…also can u use eggs..is the original way from Suriname ever made w eggs
I use the cassava and the coconut straight out packet, I don’t strain the liquid.
This recipe is a recipe for “Eenvoudige Bojo” which means, a simple bojo cake, if you add eggs to the bojo it’s called “Fijne Bojo” in Suriname, which is a richer version and equally as delicious. You can definitely add eggs to this recipe. I would use about 2 or 3 eggs to make it a “Fijne Bojo”.