Cebuana Torta is a Visayan sponge cake popularly served for dessert or as a midday snack. It's delicious and simple to make with easy-to-find ingredients. Bake it at home using this easy recipe with step-by-step photos and tips!
In the Northern or Tagalog-speaking provinces of the Philippines, the word torta refers to a type of omelet made of eggs and ground meat, seafood, potatoes, or vegetables. However, the torta is a sponge cake commonly served as a snack or dessert in the Visayan region.
What is Torta de Cebu
Torta Mamon is a sweet and spongy pastry that originated in Cebu. It's most popular in Argao, a municipality in southern Cebu, and is also called Argao Torta or Torta a la Argao.
It traditionally uses a coconut liquor, tuba, as the leavening agent and lard as the fat in the batter. ย It's baked in clay ovens until toasted and finished with a blanket of margarine and sugar. It's common to top it with raisins and infuse it with anise for added flavor.
This Cebuana delicacy has a soft and spongy texture. It's denser and moister than the classic fluffy mamon, with the egg yolks in the batter giving it a richer, more decadent taste.
Ingredients and supplies
Since most of us don't have ready access to tuba wine and a clay oven, this recipe was adapted to work using simple ingredients and a conventional oven.
- Baking powder instead of tuba acts as the leavener, and a combination of oil and melted butter takes the place of lard in adding richness to the torta. The result is a torta bisaya that's as special and delicious as the original!
- The cake is baked in brioche or mamon molds. You can also use large muffin tins if you don't have any.
How to make Torta Cebuana
Here is an overview of the process. The full ingredients and detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Prepare equipment. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the insides of 12 mamon or brioche molds.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the oil, butter, and sugar in another bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk until well incorporated. Stir in the milk.
- Combine the flour mixture and the liquid mixture. Add the vanilla. The batter will be smooth with flowy consistency but not too runny.
- Divide the batter into prepared molds.
- Bake in the preheated oven.
- Top with butter and sugar. Allow the torta to cool slightly first.
Quick tips
- Do not overwork the batter. Beat the mixture just until smooth and free of any streak of flour.
- The molds used in the recipe are 3.5 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep. If using a larger size, bake the torta for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Serving suggestions
Cebuana torta is traditionally served as a midday snack and enjoyed with a piping hot cup of sikwate or hot chocolate.
Storage
- Transfer to a tightly covered container and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Storing in the refrigerator will prolong life but will dry out the cake.
More Filipino baked goods
Ingredients
- 1 ยพ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 8 egg yolks (from large eggs), at room temperature
- 1 ยฝ cups sugar
- ยพ cup canola oil
- ยผ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup evaporated milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- margarine or butter for brushing on the torta
- sugar, for sprinkling on top
Equipment
- 12 Mamon or Brioche molds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the insides of the mamon or brioche molds. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and saltย until well combined. Set aside.ย ย ย
- In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, melted butter, andย sugar until the sugar is dissolved
- Add the egg yolks and whiskย until well-incorporated.
- Add the milk and stir well.ย ย
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and stir.
- Ladle the batter into the prepared molds until ยพ full.ย ย
- Arrange the filled molds on a baking tray and bake at 350 F for 25 to 30ย ย minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden.ย
- Remove the torta from heat and let cool slightly.
- Brush the tops with softenedย butter or margarine and sprinkle with sugar.
Notes
- Do not overwork the batter. Beat the mixture just until smooth and free of any streak of flour. The batter should be smooth and flowy but is not too runny.
- The molds used in the recipe are 3.5 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep. If using a larger size, bake the torta for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Axim says
Hello Mrs. Manalo. Can we use whole eggs instead of just the yolks? I donโt want to waste the egg whites. ๐
Maria says
Hi Lalaine. If Lard is available(I saw some at a Hispanic store) how much do I use?
Thank you.
Jac says
How long does this stay fresh and how do I store them?
Lalaine Manalo says
Store in an airtight container and they should last about 2 to 3 days.
Josephine Margaret M. Badilla says
Can I cook it in a steamer instead of oven? Thanks for the answer.
Lalaine Manalo says
I haven't tried in a steamer, but doing it in a kawali might be better. Heat a pan with a tight-fitting lid and place a trivet in the middle of the pan. Set the mold on top of the trivet so it's not touching the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly and cook until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This method mimics the dry heat cooking in the oven.