Yema Cake with custard frosting and shredded cheese is soft, fluffy, and delicious. This Filipino sponge cake is the perfect dessert for holidays, birthdays, or anytime you need a special sweet treat.
What is Yema
Yema is a classic Filipino candy made from a mixture of milk and egg yolks cooked over low heat until thickened. The sweet concoction is then shaped in pyramids or balls, coated in granulated sugar, or dipped in caramel syrup for a crisp, golden shell.
It has been a Philippine delicacy for centuries, brought by the Spanish during the colonial period. The word yema, in fact, means egg yolk in Spanish.
But although the candy has been around for years, Yema Cake is somewhat of a new invention that has recently gained popularity. It's a prime example of the Filipino's creative ability to adapt ideas and make them entirely our own.
What is a Yema Cake
The Yema cake has three components which all work together into a scrumptious, indulgent baked treat.
- Sponge Cake-the procedure is very similar to Pianono, but this recipe has added butter for a rich flavor.
- Yema Frosting- based on my easy yema spread recipe, but it's cooked longer to make it thicker and hold its form better for frosting and piping.
- Grated Cheese- the cake was decorated with almond slivers to pretty it up, but this is entirely optional. The grated cheese topping, however, is a must as it adds another layer of flavor, and the saltiness of the cheese perfectly contrasts with the sweetness of the Yema frosting.
How to make meringue
- Eggs are easier to separate when cold, but allow the egg whites to reach room temperature before whisking to create more volume.
- Use eggs that are fresh if possible, they might not create as much volume as older (3-5 day-old) eggs, but they make a more stable meringue.
- Make sure there is no grease, fat, or even a smear of yolk in the whites, which will prevent them from foaming properly.
- For best results, use clean, grease-free bowls and whisk attachments. Use glass or metal bowls, as plastic can have a greasy film that will keep the whites from whipping up to full volume.
- Avoid using high speed while whisking or beating the whites. As it incorporates more air and creates larger bubbles, it deflates the meringue during or after baking.
- Avoid using high speed while whisking or beating the whites. As it incorporates more air and creates larger bubbles, it deflates the meringue during or after baking.
Quick tip
Fold the meringue gently into the batter in parts and one direction to keep from deflating it.
Give this yummy recipe a try! With delicious layers of soft, fluffy sponge cake, creamy golden yema, and salty grated cheese, it's pure indulgence! It's the perfect dessert for special occasions but easy enough to make for everyday sweet cravings.
How to store
- This cake contains dairy products and thus needs to be refrigerated for food safety.
- Store under a cake cover or wrap loosely with plastic film and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, place the frosted cake in the freezer until the frosting is frozen. Wrap tightly with plastic film and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw the cake loosely uncovered at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours to serve.
More dessert recipes
Fluffy Sponge cake with a creamy egg custard frosting and grated cheese topping. This Filipino Yema cake is soft, fluffy, and decadent!
Course: Baked Goods, Dessert
slices
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 2 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Yema Frosting
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons butter
For Topping/Garnish
- ½ cup almond slivers
- 1 cup grated cheese
Instructions
SPONGE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, beat the egg whites using a mixer at low speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while continuously beating. Once all sugar is added, turn up the speed to medium and continue beating the meringue until it forms stiff glossy peaks. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream the butter and remaining ¼ cup sugar for 3 minutes or until light in color.
- Add the yolks one at a time while continuously mixing for about 2 minutes.
- Add milk, cake flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract to the egg yolk mixture. Beat until batter for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Gently fold in a third of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and then add the remaining meringue and fold until well combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before completely removing from pan to a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper off the cake and let it cool down before frosting.
For the Yema Frosting
- In a bowl, combine condensed milk, egg yolks, and salt (if using). Whisk until well-blended and evenly colored.
- In a wide, nonstick pan over medium-low heat, heat butter until slightly melted and still warm (NOT hot).
- Add egg-milk mixture and stir well to combine.
- Cook, stirring regularly and scraping sides and bottom with a spoon, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture thickens to a spreadable paste. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
TO ASSEMBLE
- Once the sponge cake is completely cool, cut the horizontally into half.
- Spoon about ¼ of the yema on top of the bottom cake half layer. Using a spatula, spread evenly to cover the surface with about ⅛-inch thick of yema filling.
- Place the top layer half of the sponge cake on top of the frosted cake layer.
- Scoop and spread enough yema frosting on top of the cake to cover the surface and make a frosting layer with about half-centimeter thickness.
- Set aside about ¼ cup of the yema and using an offset spatula, spread to cover the sides of the cake.
- Scoop a handful of almond slivers and gently tap to the sides of the cake.
- Pipe the reserved ¼ cup yema frosting on the top and at the bottom edges of the cake to decorate.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the cake.
- Serve immediately or chill in the fridge.
Notes
- Eggs are easier to separate when cold, but allow the egg whites to reach room temperature before whisking to create more volume.
- Use eggs that are fresh if possible, they might not create as much volume as older (3-5 day-old) eggs, but they make a more stable meringue.
- Make sure there is no grease, fat, or even a smear of yolk in the whites, which will prevent them from foaming properly.
- For best results, use clean, grease-free bowls and whisk attachments. Use glass or metal bowls, as plastic can have a greasy film that will keep the whites from whipping up to full volume.
- Avoid using high speed while whisking or beating the whites. As it incorporates more air and creates larger bubbles, it deflates the meringue during or after baking.
- Avoid using high speed while whisking or beating the whites. As it incorporates more air and creates larger bubbles, it deflates the meringue during or after baking.
- Fold the meringue gently into the batter in parts and in one direction to keep from deflating it.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 729kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Cholesterol: 239mg, Sodium: 395mg, Potassium: 593mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 67g, Vitamin A: 1160IU, Vitamin C: 2.6mg, Calcium: 488mg, Iron: 1.2mg
“This 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.”
Grace says
hellow po
pwede po kaya all purpose flour lang po? thank you
Lalaine says
Hello Grace,
The cake flour will give the cake a lighter texture. If you don't have it, you can easily make your own using all-purpose. Measure out the amount needed for the recipe. For every 1 cup of flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour
and replace with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift the dry mixture a few times and it's ready to use 🙂
Grace says
salamat po!!!! Mam tanung ko lang din po, magkaiba po measurement ng ingredients sa yema spread dito and dun sa link na yema spread, alin po dun ang susundin? thanks
Lalaine says
Yung dito sa cake 🙂
Mae says
Hi lo. Can i use self raising flour instead of the cake flour? thank you.
Joycel jambalos says
Him ask ko lang po kung ano po yung egg-milk mixture po sa yema frosting?. Salamatt😊
Aurora says
Hi. I asked about two days ago if the yema filling is to be doubled then does that mean it will have 8 egg yollks instead of 4 from the original yema spread recipe? I don’t see my comment anymore from two days ago though.
Aurora says
Sorry. Now I see my comment from a few days ago. I didn’t see it until I posted another comment.
Lalaine Manalo says
No worries, Aurora.
Aurora says
Does the yema filling have 4 or 8 egg yolks? You mentioned something about doubling it up to have enough to frost the entire cake.
Jennifer Dee says
Hello po pwede recipe mo sa cake sheet na yema cake po? thank you
Lalaine says
Yes, pwede siya sa sheet pan iluto. Adjust lang nang konti ang bake time 🙂
Mj says
Hi what size of the cake pan did u use?
LINDLEY says
Looks good.. what kind of milk (type/brand) did you use? And the what is the used for remaining egg whites? Thank.. God Bless!
Sarah 🙂 says
Hi! I'm currently in Colorado and I can't find any Eden cheese. To me it's a distinct flavor but what else could I substitute Eden with?
Lalaine Manalo says
You can use American processed cheese. I usually buy it unsliced at the deli counter 🙂
Celeste says
Hello! May I know if the cake can be baked and assembled 2 days ahead? My son will be celebrating his birthday on a saturday and I plan to make the cake by thursday. Will that work? THank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes.
Roch S. Lomboy says
hi Ms. Bebs! do you accept orders for an occassion? its for my husbands birthday on the first week of November and I wanted to surprise him with a yema cake since its his favorite flavor of a cake here in PH. he is from Vancouver. if so, please let me know. thank you so much!
Lalaine says
Hello Roch,
Bebs lives in the Philippines 🙁
M Alshammari says
Hi! Can I just use all-purpose flour? Thanks.
Jaja says
Hi. I’m kinda new to baking cake. How do I adjust the ingredients to make a 10-inch round cake? Thanks.
Jaja says
Hi. Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? Would there be a difference? I dabble on baking, try mostly recipes for cookies, but haven’t really tried baking cake. Thanks for your response!
Suzanne says
This is the most elegant yema cake I’ve seen! Looks tasty too! Love the almond slivers idea as well. Good job, Bebs!
Lalaine says
Yes, she's a very talented baker. I am so happy with how this yema cake turned out 🙂
Goldie says
Looks very yummy! What brand of cheese did you use here? Thank you.
Lalaine says
Eden cheese 🙂