Home Food and Recipes Puto – Filipino steamed cake

Puto – Filipino steamed cake

Filipino steamed cake or locally called as Puto is one of the staples in a classic Filipino gathering, whether that be a birthday party, fiesta or graduation it is very rare for a Filipino celebration to not have Puto as part of it. It is usually round shaped with either cheese or salted egg toppings. It’s a light snack with a hint of sweetness in every bite kicked by the saltiness of the cheese and or the salted egg. Very easy to transport and easy to get in the Philippines which adds to its popularity on potlucks and local gatherings.
Other than it being a stand-alone snack, it can also be paired with Pancit (sautéed rice noodles) or Dinuguan (pork blood stew). The taste of Puto greatly compliments both dishes and is not something that only adults would love but it is popular amongst kids too.

Other Puto variants

It is originally made of rice flour but as the recipe evolves over time, all purpose flour is now commonly used in making Puto. Its flavor has also branched out in to different categories, below are some of the popular Puto variants in the Philippines.

– Puto Pao – has a meat filling (derived from Siopao)
– Puto Seko – dry Puto, biscuit formPuto Lanson – made from cassava, foamy when cooked
– Puto Lanson – made from cassava, foamy when cooked
– Puto Mamon – has a sponge cake like consistency

Puto Bumbong – made from glutinous rice, common during Christmas season

Here’s a list of some of the popular Puto vendors in the Philippines:

– Goldilocks
– Puto Pao King
– Ka Maning Puto at Kutsinta
– Rocha’s Puto
– Popular Puto

If you want to have to experience the Filipino way on how to make this hearty steamed cake, here’s a quick recipe that you can easily do at home.

Materials Needed for Puto:

  1. Mixing bowl
  2. Strainer
  3. Steamer
  4. Measuring cups and spoon
  5. Wire whisk
  6. Puto molds

Ingredients:

  1. 3 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1 ¼ tablespoons baking powder
  3. 1 medium egg
  4. ¼ cup melted butter
  5. 1 ½ cups sugar
  6. 2 cups milk
  7. 1 cup water
  8. ½ cup cheeses (you can choose any variant, I prefer cheddar)
  9. 3 salted eggs sliced thinly

Directions:

  1. Grease the Puto molds and set aside, this is to be used in the steamer
  2. Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder together and set aside
  3. Mix the water, milk, egg and butter in to another bowl together. Once mixed, slowly fold the dry ingredients into the mixture until you form a creamy batter
  4. Add the grated cheese in to the batter
  5. Pour the batter in to the Puto molds, filling at least ¾ of the mold and put a slice of the salted egg on top
  6. Place molds in the steamer and steam for at least 10mins, poke with a toothpick to check if it is already cooked. If the toothpick would come out clean (no batter residue) then your yummy Puto is now ready
  7. Take the Puto out of the molds and let it cool on a plate or wire rack, serve warm or at room temperature
  8. You would approximately make 2 dozen of Puto, depending on the size of your mold

You can now enjoy a hearty snack with your family or wow your friends on gatherings with this classic Filipino cake.

 

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