Cakes are usually enjoyed fresh from the bakery, at cafes and restaurants, at dining halls and venues or at birthday parties so imagine my surprise when my hubby came home from the airport after a flight from Manila carrying a large box of cake. I couldn’t believe he would buy a cake on purpose as pasalubong because it would be cumbersome for him to be hand-carrying it and putting it on the overhead bin. Also there is a risk of the cake spilling out when other passengers open the bin excitedly upon disembarkation in my opinion. But he said it was a present from a friend who mentioned that this particular cake is really famous for its very delicious taste.
On the brightly colored box’s lid it said Rodillas Yema Cake so I got excited. Yema Cakes are one of my favorite types of cake and I usually get mine from sellers who sold these in individual-sized clear plastic tubs. In short, I don’t really have a definite bakeshop in mind when I crave for these cakes. Most of those I have tried are quite good. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with egg yolk-milk-sugar custard, chiffon cake and cheese, right? I used to be skeptical about the addition of cheese but finally have come to realize and accept that the presence of cheese does combat the sweetness of the yema filling and icing.
For those of you who do not know, Yema cake is a Filipino sponge or chiffon cake spread with Yema or egg yolks and condensed milk candy which for the purposes of this cake is cooked just until it is of light or custard consistency and topped with grated cheese. Since you will be eating more of it in this cake, the Yema here shouldn’t be as thick or as sweet as the Yema candy that we all know and love.
Upon eating it, I have to admit that Rodillas Yema Cake is indeed the best of its kind that I’ve had. The cheese skeptic in me protested a bit on first bite due to the unmistakable taste of cheese from the slivers generously sprinkled on top but the light and not-too-sweet Yema icing and filling is truly delightful. That’s not all though, the delicious chiffon cake in itself is so bouncy and soft with a texture so fine that two layers of this plus the Yema filling betwixt and icing spread all over is probably the reason for its popularity.
Aside from the Chocolate Cake, the Yema Cake is usually one of those classic desserts that Filipinos provide in an event or gathering, mainly because of its appeal across generations and beloved sweet-but-not-too-sweet taste. For this reason, Rodillas Yema Cake is not only the perfect dessert to bring to an occasion, or to feast on during cravings or to enjoy with a friend over coffee, it also makes for the perfect gift, even to a person who is about to board a plane.
