Puto Cheese: Steamed Filipino Rice Cakes
Recipe Guy
Filipino steamed cake | Cheese topping | Merienda
A square of cheese turns a lightly sweet steamed cake into a small savory-sweet snack. These puto use rice flour alongside all-purpose flour, with milk, egg, and butter in the batter and the cheese added near the end of steaming.
Why make it: This version uses an easy rice-flour batter and small molds for home steamers.
Fresh From the Kitchen
These photos show the colors, textures, and serving style to look for when making Puto Cheese.
About This Recipe
The batter is simple to mix, but the sequence matters: combine the dry ingredients thoroughly, whisk the liquids separately, and give the finished mixture its ten-minute rest. The specified nonstick silicone molds hold individual portions without added grease, each with enough headroom to rise.
Cheese is the finish, not a filling. Waiting until the cakes are nearly set lets each square stay on the surface as it softens. The cakes can sit beside pancit or dinuguan, or stand on their own with coffee when a small snack is enough.
Cooking Notes
- Whisk the baking powder evenly through both flours and the sugar before adding liquid. Small pockets of dry leavener are harder to distribute once the batter is mixed.
- Use eighteen matching 45 ml (3-tablespoon) molds, about 2 inches wide. Divide batter evenly, approximately 2 tablespoons per mold, never above three-quarters full.
Ingredient Notes
For flour
A mix of rice flour and all-purpose flour gives a soft, approachable texture.
For steaming
Wrap the steamer lid with a towel so condensation does not drip on the cakes.
Puto Cheese Recipe
This version uses an easy rice-flour batter and small molds for home steamers.
Shopping List
- rice flour
- all-purpose flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- milk
- egg
- butter
- cheese
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Cheese
- 18 small squares quick-melt cheese or cheddar
For Serving
- Dinuguan, pancit, or coffee
Instructions
- Bring water to a steady simmer below the steamer rack. Use eighteen heatproof nonstick silicone molds of 45 ml (3-tablespoon) capacity, about 2 inches across and 1 inch deep. Arrange in one layer with gaps for steam; secure any towel around the lid away from the burner.
- Whisk dry ingredients.
- Whisk milk, egg, and butter, then combine with dry ingredients.
- Rest batter 10 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly among the eighteen molds, about 2 tablespoons each, never above three-quarters full. Steam in batches if necessary; refrigerate waiting batter, covered.
- Steam covered about 10 to 12 minutes after steam returns, until the surfaces are no longer liquid and a skewer through a center shows no wet batter.
- Place one cheese square on each cake. Steam covered another 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese softens and cakes spring back. Cool briefly before unmolding. Total steaming is about 12 to 15 minutes per batch, longer if a center remains wet.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate values per piece based on the listed ingredients and yield. Actual nutrition will vary by brand, exact portion size, and cooking changes.
Tips For The Best Puto Cheese
- Do not overfill: The cakes need room to rise.
- Cover the lid: A towel catches drips.
- Steam steadily: Avoid opening the steamer too early.
- Use small molds: They cook evenly.
How To Serve And Store
Serve warm or briefly at room temperature. Refrigerate covered at 40 F or below within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour above 90 F, and use within 4 days. Do not store these milk-and-egg cakes with cheese on the counter overnight.
Common Questions
Can I use cake flour?
Yes, but the texture will be less rice-forward.
Can I skip cheese?
Yes. Plain puto is classic too.
Why did tops wrinkle?
Water may have dripped from the lid.
Can I freeze puto?
Yes. Steam briefly to refresh.
Why did the cheese sink into my puto?
It may have been added before the batter had enough structure. Steam until the cakes are nearly set, then place the cheese on top and finish steaming until the cakes spring back.
Can cheese-topped puto stay on the counter overnight?
No. Refrigerate the cakes within two hours of cooking, or within one hour when conditions exceed 90 F. A covered container on the counter is not a substitute for refrigeration.
Do you eat puto with cheese, salted egg, or plain? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and technique reference: Filipino dessert and bakery source research from Panlasang Pinoy, Kawaling Pinoy, The Dusky Kitchen, and Filipino-American dessert sources in the site roadmap.
Technique and food-safety references: kawalingpinoy.com; ask.fsis.usda.gov.
