If you don’t follow the Discourse™️ on Filipino Twitter, there seems to be some debate about ube. First and foremost, ube and taro ARE NOT the same. Although both are root vegetables, ube definitely has a sweeter taste with a nuttier aroma. I just made sinigang last night with taro or gabi, and usually would use taro for savory cooking or more subtle desserts. More importantly, it seems like ube is everywhere lately! Its purple hue is so aesthetically pleasing and the flavor is just delicious. I’ve already posted an ube crinkle recipe on the blog, and this ube puto recipe will not be the last you’ll see of this flavor. There is a lot of discussion about how much ube is integral to Philippine cuisine, and who has the right to use it. When white food media talks about ube like it’s just this “newly discovered” trend, I think that’s when it gets into Christopher Columbus territory.
My philosophy always remains that you should give credit where credit is due, and be aware of where your ingredients are coming from. Anyone here reading this is welcome to make this ube puto recipe or any other ube recipe, but just know that ube is originally from the Philippines and important in our culture. With that, this ube puto recipe does hit home for me on many levels.
Puto, a Filipino steamed cake, is part of the kakanin universe. Kakanin encompasses the sweet rice desserts and delicacies that are a big part of a Filipino handaan or feast. While this recipe uses cake flour, there are many variations of puto where you can use rice flour instead. My ading Carissa’s mom once brought over puto pao, which is a combo of puto and siopao with a meat bun center. As y’all know, I’m so partial to Goldilocks and I would eat the ube flavor first because it was my favorite and then make my way to the standard puto with cheese.
I love this recipe because it combines both of the Goldilocks platter’s flavors into one. The cheddar cheese on top adds a nice touch of salt to balance the sweetness of the mini cakes. Also, puto on a table just reminds me of a good kamayan feast. It’s usually easy to overlook with puto being strewn along with the vegetables and fruit on the side, but my eyes dart straight towards the nearest puto to accompany the entrees. It’s like how you eat garlic bread with spaghetti. Can you imagine a plate with a bbq skewer, pancit & dinuguan without puto? I can’t!
Ube Puto w/ Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon ube extract I use the Butterfly brand since there is purple food coloring in it already.
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- vegetable oil for brushing the muffin tins
Instructions
- Fill a 12-inch sauce pan halfway with water and set over high heat.
- In a bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups water, ube extract, egg whites and fresh milk. Using a stand mixer, beat the mixture at low speed for 5 minutes.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Lightly brush a mini muffin tin with vegetable oil.
- Fill muffin tin ¾ full with the batter, about 1 tablespoon each.
- Once the water in the pan is boiling, place the muffin tin in the pan and cover the pan with a lid.
- Steam the puto for 4 minutes, remove the lid and sprinkle the tops with cheese, put the lid back on and then steam for 1 more minute.
- Once the puto is cooked, remove from the pan and allow to cool at least 30 seconds before removing from the muffin tins.
- Repeat steps 6 to 10 more times, making sure there is enough water in the pan each time.
