Puto Bumbong Cake
A delicious and decadent twist of our beloved holiday street food! Puto Bumbong Cake lets you experience the Filipino Christmas kakanin but in cake form.
Imagine soft and moist Bundt cake in puto bumbong flavor. You’ll love how the latik sauce slowly drips down the cake with every bite and the nutty taste of toasted coconut topping. This cake taste and looks so festive that you’ll feel Christmas in every spoonful.
So, if you’re looking for a centerpiece to grace your table on Christmas season or a cake you want to impress with, this might just be what your looking for!
What is Puto Bumbong?
Puto Bumbong is purple rice cake well known for being the snack of choice after Misa de Gallo. Misa de Gallo or Rooster’s Mass are series of morning masses beginning on the 16th of December. This delicacy is a cylindrical cake of purple rice cooked in a steamer. The rice cake is traditionally made of steamed black glutinous rice (puto) called “pirurutong” cooked in bamboo tube (bumbong). It is served with margarine/butter, grated coconut, and brown sugar or palm sugar granules.
How to make the cake
Making this vibrant cake is a labor of love but totally worth it! The process can be divided in three parts which are the Bundt cake, latik sauce, and toasted coconut topping. You can plan and make any of the three a day ahead to save on time if needed.
Bundt cake – I highly suggest using a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the work easier and achieve good consistency. Firstly, generously grease Bundt pan (9in x 3in) with butter and pre heat oven at 180°C/356°F. Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Beat butter and sugar using a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs two at a time and beat until incorporated. In a small bowl mix coconut milk and ube food coloring or ube flavor. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches while pouring ube coconut milk mix in 2 batches in between. Beat until no traces of flour is left. Transfer cake batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Latik sauce – Heat sauce pan over low-medium heat. Combine coconut milk, sugar, and salt. Cook while occasionally stirring until sauce is thick but still pourable.
Toasted coconut toppings – In a pan over low-medium heat, place desiccated coconut and toast until golden brown. Transfer in a bowl then add brown sugar. Mix using a spoon until fully incorporated.
Tips for an amiable experience
- If you do not have a Bundt pan, you can also use a round baking pan or you can also make cupcakes using cupcake molds.
- You can plan and make any of the three a day ahead to save on time if needed. If you’re making the cake first, wrap the baked cake in cling wrap when cooled down to avoid drying up.
- Topping each slice of cake with grated cheese is also worth trying as it adds contrast to the sweetness of the sauce.
The secret ingredient is always love.
You may also like
- Bibingka – Rice cake native to the Philippines traditionally made from galapong (milled glutinous rice) or glutinous rice flour.
- Holiday Fruit Cake with dried mixed fruits and assorted nuts. An explosion of flavor and moist fruit cake to enjoy the festive season.
Puto Bumbong Cake
Ingredients
For Bundt cake
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 225 grams butter (unsalted)
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 ½ tsp ube flavoring (or purple food color)
For latik sauce
- 1 ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar (or muscovado)
- ½ tsp salt
For toasted coconut toppings
- ⅔ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
Making the cake
- Generously grease Bundt pan (9in x 3in) with butter and pre heat oven at 180°C/356°F.
- Sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.3 cups cake flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
- Beat butter and sugar using a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs two at a time and beat until incorporated.225 grams butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 medium eggs
- In a small bowl mix coconut milk and ube food coloring or ube flavor.1 ½ cup coconut milk, 1 ½ tsp ube flavoring
- Add the flour mixture in 3 batches while pouring ube coconut milk mix in 2 batches in between. Beat until no traces of flour is left.
- Transfer cake batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Completely cool down
Making the latik sauce
- Heat sauce pan over low-medium heat. Combine coconut milk, dark brown sugar, and salt. Cook while occasionally stirring until sauce is thick but still pourable.1 ½ cup coconut milk, 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar, ½ tsp salt
Making the toasted coconut toppings
- In a pan over low-medium heat, place desiccated coconut and toast until golden brown.⅔ cup desiccated coconut
- Transfer in a bowl then add brown sugar. Mix using a spoon until fully incorporated.½ cup brown sugar
- Release cake from pan, pour latik sauce on top and sprinkle toasted coconut. Serve and enjoy. Bon appetit!
