Oven-baked Puto

Puto is a common Filipino delicacy that is usually made from rice flour. We eat them anytime of the day and on all occasions, by itself or as accompaniment to dinuguan or pancit. Later on, some Filipinos used wheat flour (all purpose or cake flour) in making puto, and was even popularized by ready-to-bake mixes and bake shop chains (like Goldilocks). It is trickier to cook rice flour puto, and that may have been a reason most home cooks used wheat flour. 

A friend of mine asked me if I can make puto for her. I was initially reluctant to accept the task, because I think the last time I made puto was when I was still in the Philippines many years ago, and there is a chance I made them out of the box (like the White King brand). I also do not have the usual molds we use for puto back home. I have muffin trays, but no steamer large enough to fit that tray. But I do not say "no" to cooking, so I did some research and asked my sis-in-law for her recipe (which also uses a steamer!). After a couple of trials and recipe adjustments, my first puto catering was a success! The tricks I learned in oven-steaming puto: more baking powder, lower temperature, top rack-baking. Next time I will try using rice flour, and also make some puto pao. 

2 eggs
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk, whole milk or 2% fat
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp pandan essence (optional)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp.baking powder, sifted
slices of cheese (Swiss or Velveeta) or salted duck egg for toppings


Place a 1"-thick baking sheet or a large roasting pan that would fit a muffin tray on the top rack of the oven. Fill the tray with warm water, then pre-heat the oven to 325 deg. Fahrenheit. 

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then add the melted butter, milk, and sugar. If using pandan essence, stir in the essence to the water before adding them to the egg mixture. Whisk or beat the egg mixture on low setting using an electric mixer until well-mixed. Add the sifted flour and baking powder and fold in the egg and milk mixture then beat on low setting again.

Pour the batter in the muffin tray, filling about 2/3 of each cup. You don't need to grease the pan, but you may line it with paper cups, if desired. Place the muffin tray on top of the sheet or pan with hot water on the top rack of the oven. The water should be steaming by this time. Steam-bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out dry when inserted. 

If using salted duck egg for topping, top each puto cup with a slice before baking in the oven. If using quick-melt cheese, like Swiss or Velveeta, top each puto after baking, and then place the muffin tray back in the oven for 1-2 minutes. You can turn off the oven by this time. 

Remove the tray from the oven and cool it down for about 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, carefully remove each puto cup from the tray and serve.  

Custard Cake

Since my family moved to Houston, I am always on the look out for good Filipino desserts and pastries from the very few Filipino stores/restaurants that we have here. So far, my hunt is still unsuccessful. There is no Red Ribbon franchise here, and the Pinoy pastries I have tasted from the stores here are below-par with Red Ribbon --- considering that the Red Ribbon pastries/cakes here in North America are not as good as those back home. To satisfy our cravings, hubby and I started to bake Filipino treats for our own consumption. Here's a recipe for custard cake - a chiffon cake topped with leche flan. Really yummy! Thanks again to my sis-in-law for sharing the recipe. She's my go-to person for family-tested recipes, and then I just have to figure out myself how to do it!  Quite a challenge for this dessert, but really worth it. 

For custard topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar for syrup
3 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 can condensed milk
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For chiffon cake:
3 eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil


Prepare the custard topping. On a medium heavy bottom stainless steel pan or saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of sugar over medium heat to make a syrup. You can just leave the sugar on the pan, without stirring, but shake the pan occasionally to distribute the heat evenly. You may start stirring the syrup when about 3/4 of all the sugar are melted. You may also add 1 or 2 tablespoons of hot water if the syrup is very thick. Pour the syrup on a 8" x 8" square or 9" round baking pan. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk 3 whole eggs. Add the sugar, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Continue whisking until well blended. Place a strainer over the baking pan and pour in the custard mixture. Set aside.

Prepare the chiffon cake. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 deg. Celsius). Separate 3 egg yolks from the egg white, and set aside the egg whites. Make sure there is no trace of egg yolk in the whites, otherwise your meringue will not form peaks.

Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, water, salt, oil, and vanilla. Add the sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder, and mix all together well using a rubber spatula. Make sure you scrape the flour on the sides of the bowl. Set aside the batter.

Meringue: In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric mixer set on high speed until the mixture is foamy. Decrease the speed to low and gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar. Increase the speed of the mixer to high again and beat until stiff peaks appear, approximately 3 minutes.

Transfer about 1/3 of the meringue to the batter and whisk until well-blended. Add the remaining meringue and fold in gently, in about 5-8 motions only to avoid "over-working" the batter. Slowly transfer the batter on top of the custard mixture, spreading them evenly. Smoothen the top carefully using a spatula.

Place the cake pan inside a bigger pan - a large roasting pan or a 1" deep cookie sheet will do. Fill the bigger pan with hot water, about half if using a deep roasting pan or almost on the brim if using a cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the toothpick comes out clean after inserting. Completely cool the cake, about 2 hours or more, before placing it upside down on a serving plate. You may also refrigerate the cake before inverting and serving it.