Recipes from Madagascar: Malagasy Cake

Banana flavored scrambled eggs, anyone? 

OK so clearly something went very, very wrong with this recipe. Because, check out the photo of this cake on this page:

Afro Tourism

If it looks like an omelette, that's because it's an omelette

Now check out the photo of my cake, to the left. Same ingredients, same instructions. But WTF?? This dessert was so awful my kids didn't even want to eat it. And I'm sure it was because something went wrong with my interpretation, I'm sure it isn't supposed to look/taste like it looked/tasted when I made it.

Looking around, there are some recipes for Malagasy cakes that call for cassava flour, so I'm wondering if maybe whoever transcribed the recipe accidentally left it out. Or maybe I just needed to mix it more, with an electric mixer or something? Though I'm not sure how that would have solved the texture problem. Because it was a texture problem, not necessarily a flavor problem. It needed something to give it body.

Now, I've made flourless cakes before and they've been fabulous, and they had a lot of egg in them too. So I'm feeling like if it really wasn't supposed to have flour in it, then the instructions were leaving out a critical step or just assuming that I know something I obviously don't know.

Anyway, I can't imagine you would actually want to make this after that less-than-glowing recommendation, but just in case you do, here's how:

First cut a slit in your vanilla pod. The recipe didn't actually say to do this, but it's what I've seen Food Network chefs do--otherwise all the flavor just stays inside the pod.

Now put the pod in the milk with the sugar, nutmeg and clove. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Add the tapioca and return to the stove over low heat. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a round cake pan.

Remove the vanilla pod from the milk and add the cream and mashed bananas.

Now add the eggs one at a time. I guess. Mix well and pour into the cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Now, it said cook for 15 minutes, but it took more like an hour in my oven, which is why I think that this recipe must have been missing an ingredient. If it had flour in it I think it would have baked up a lot more quickly, just like any cake.

Anyway, it was awful. Not the flavor, the flavor was actually fine, like a really sweet banana bread. But the texture was like scrambled eggs, so it really wasn't very pleasant. Again, I'm sure the fault was mine, unless an ingredient got left out of the recipe--which does seem a little likely.

Malagasy Cake

from Afro Tourism

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 pinch nutmeg, grated
• 1 pinch clove, crushed
• 5 tbsp tapioca
• 2 tbsp cream
• 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/2 oz butter
• 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Put the milk in a pot with the vanilla pod, sugar, nutmeg and clove. Bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.
2. Add the tapioca and then put back on the stove over a low flame. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a round cake pan.
4. Remove the vanilla pod and add the cream. Stir in the bananas.
5. Now add the eggs, one at a time, until everything is well mixed. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 Approximate time: 1 hour. Serves 8.

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