One of the most popular, sought-after desserts in many a bakeshop in the Philippines is 'mamon'. It is some kind of sponge cake, but often baked in cupcake size that features a soft and fluffy sponge.
What I distinctly remember about it is how much its texture very much resembles that of a marshmallow. Like seriously, you can press a finger down its surface and it is definitely not going to leave any dent, the cake is just going to bounce right up.
Nissin's Monde has its own mamon version and boy do I love it. I can just eat an entire pack if I wasn't too conscious of my waistline :D. I also love the ones available at Goldilock's. to me, they are the epitome of what a perfect mamon is. Spongy and fluffy and soft and of course, heavenly to the taste buds!
When I started taking an interest in baking, I've been in a constant search for a mamon recipe. Sadly the ones I found online were different than what I expected. See, there are a number of ways that mamon can be made and the recipes I encountered had texture that was very similar to chiffon cake. That is not necessarily bad cos I love chiffon cake too. it's just not the kind of mamon I have in mind.
I was just about to give up my search for that perfect mamon recipe when one day I just felt like browsing online and see what I can find. I chanced upon this website by panlasangpinoy and to my utter delight, he has a mamon recipe! What's more, it clearly states that his was similar to the mamon sold by Goldilock's.
When I first tried the recipe, I was a little doubtful with the measurement. The batter seemed to be way too thick and I was worried that somewhere along the way, there may have been a typo on the recipe. Still, I wanted to stay faithful and see how it would all turn out.
Good thing I did too. It turned out perfect!
So, without further ado, I present to you the perfect "mamon" recipe as featured at panlasangpinoy.com.
You're going to have to start by separating the eggs. The recipe calls for 8 eggs- yolks and whites separated.
Next step is to sift the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and sift them together. I found that the key to the soft and fluffy goodness of this recipe is in sifting the dry ingredients together. Sifting it at least two times is good though if you are willing to do more, even better.
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour although I have been wondering what the results are going to be if I use cake flour. I'm going to have to test that out one of these days.
Once the flour mixture has been sifted, it's time for the dry ingredients. The recipe calls for a third of a cup of orange juice but I have substituted mine with milk for the same amount. The addition of lemon or orange rind is perfect though as it adds a tangy, refreshing taste to the resulting cupcake.
Next step is to sift the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and sift them together. I found that the key to the soft and fluffy goodness of this recipe is in sifting the dry ingredients together. Sifting it at least two times is good though if you are willing to do more, even better.
The recipe calls for all-purpose flour although I have been wondering what the results are going to be if I use cake flour. I'm going to have to test that out one of these days.
Once the flour mixture has been sifted, it's time for the dry ingredients. The recipe calls for a third of a cup of orange juice but I have substituted mine with milk for the same amount. The addition of lemon or orange rind is perfect though as it adds a tangy, refreshing taste to the resulting cupcake.
The mixture is quite thick so make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and see to it that everything is incorporated, although make sure too not to overmix the whole thing.
Then you're ready to beat the egg whites. Most people prefer to add a teaspoon of cream of tartar when beating the egg whites to make it more stable but I find it unnecessary. You'll have to beat the eggs on low and wait til it all becomes frothy before you should gradually add the half cup of sugar and then beat it til it reaches soft peaks.
Afterwards, 're going to have to add the flour mixture to the egg whites and not the other way around. It helps to add a tablespoon or two of beaten egg whites to the flour mixture to sort of thin it out a bit. Then, you will need to fold the flour mixture into the egg whites, being careful that you are not going to deflate it in the process.
...and 12 to 15 minutes later, they're good! Whip up a cup of hot coffee and start munching on these spongy, fluffy goodness!
