Enyucado

Heat the oven and prepare the pan Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23 cm square baking dish or a similar-sized pan with butter. Line the base with parchment if you want easier lifting and cleaner slices.

Make a light panela syrup Put the grated panela and 120 ml water in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring until dissolved, then let it simmer briefly until evenly syrupy. Do not reduce it to a thick caramel. Set aside until just warm so it will mix evenly without cooking the cassava.

Prepare the cassava Peel the yuca thoroughly and remove any woody central fibre. Finely grate the cassava. If it releases a lot of liquid, gather it in a clean cloth and press lightly to remove only excess free moisture; do not squeeze it dry. The remaining moisture helps the cake bake tender.

Mix the cake batter In a large bowl, combine the grated cassava, coconut, costeño cheese, cinnamon and cloves. Add the panela syrup and melted butter. Mix and knead briefly with clean hands or a sturdy spoon until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste a small amount and add the salt only if the cheese does not provide enough seasoning.

Fill the baking dish Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Press it into an even layer, paying attention to the corners so the edges do not bake much faster than the middle. Smooth the surface without packing it so tightly that the cake becomes dense.

Bake until golden and set Bake for 45–55 minutes, rotating the pan once if the oven browns unevenly. The top should be deep golden and the centre set, with no wet batter visible when tested near the middle. If the top colours too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the final part of baking.

Cool, slice and store Let the enyucado rest in the pan for 20 minutes so the cassava starch can settle, then cut it into 10 pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours; serve chilled or reheat portions thoroughly to at least 73.9°C.