Puto Cake

Step 1

Line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round springform or removable bottom pan with parchment paper.

Step 2

Sift the cake flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and baking powder in a big bowl. Set aside.

Step 3

In a separate big bowl, beat the egg whites at low speed until it becomes bubbly. Add cream of tartar, if using. Continue to beat at low speed until it turns foamy.

Step 4

While beating, still at low speed, gradually add 1/4 cup of sugar. Once all sugar is added, increase speed to medium and beat until medium/firm peaks are formed. Set aside.

Step 5

Back to the other bowl, add the milk to the dry ingredients and mix well until it reaches a pancake-like consistency. You may need to adjust the amount of milk to achieve this.

Step 6

Take 1/4 of the meringue and add it to the batter. Whisk to lighten the batter so it will not deflate the meringue. Add the rest of the meringue in two to three batches, carefully folding each batch into the batter until well blended. Do not over-fold of the meringue will deflate.

Step 7

Fill the prepared pan with the batter. Add half of the grated cheese then place it in a steamer basket. Cover with the lid.

Step 8

Fill the bottom of the steamer with tap water. Place the steamer basket with the batter on top. Turn the heat on and bring the water to a very gentle simmer over very low heat. Steam for 10 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the lid and add more grated cheese on top. Arrange slices of salted egg as desired. Steam for another 5-10 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Turn off the heat and let it rest and cool down a bit.

Step 10

Remove from pan and transfer to a serving plate.