Puto is a broad Filipino steamed-cake category. Puto bigas, also called putong bigas, specifically uses rice as its base. This version blends soaked regular rice rather than using packaged rice flour.

Can I use glutinous rice flour or sweet rice flour?

No. This recipe is designed for soaked regular white rice. Glutinous rice flour behaves very differently and will make the puto noticeably stickier.

Why is my puto gummy in the centre?

Gummy centres usually mean the rice was not blended finely enough, the moulds were too deep for the steaming time, the steam was too weak, or condensation fell into the batter.

Why did my puto turn out dense or fail to rise?

Check that the baking powder is fresh, stir it in only just before steaming, and begin with a fully heated steamer. A batter held too long after the baking powder is mixed can lose some lift.

Why is the top wet after steaming?

Clear droplets on an otherwise set surface are usually condensation, not uncooked batter. Secure a towel around a metal steamer lid, keeping it away from heat, and avoid lifting the lid repeatedly.

Why did the ube marble disappear?

Too much swirling blends the coloured batter into the plain batter. Add a small spoonful of ube batter to each mould and make one or two gentle passes with a skewer.

How should I store and reheat puto bigas?

Keep cooled puto airtight at room temperature for the day, or refrigerate for up to two days. Re-steam for 3 to 5 minutes or microwave briefly under a damp paper towel to soften chilled cakes.

Puto Bigas Recipe - Ube Marble Filipino Rice Cakes

Name: Puto Bigas with Ube Marble
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 20
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 370 g regular white rice (uncooked; not glutinous rice); 1000 ml cold water (for soaking; enough to cover the rice by 2.5 cm); 625 ml water (for blending); 240 ml coconut cream; 200 g white sugar; 4 g baking powder (fresh); 1 g fine sea salt; 60 ml plain puto batter (reserved from the prepared batter); 5 ml ube extract; banana leaves (cut into small rounds; optional for lining); 5 ml neutral oil (for lightly greasing moulds if not using banana leaves)

Prep time

2 hr 30 min

Cook time

40 min

Total time

3 hr 10 min

Servings

20 servings1×

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What Is Puto Bigas?

Puto bigas is a Filipino steamed rice cake made from a rice-based batter. Puto is the broader steamed-cake category; bigas means rice, and puto bigas is also called putong bigas. This version keeps soaked regular rice as the foundation and adds a small ube-extract swirl for a purple-and-white marble finish.

The texture is tender and lightly springy with a gentle chew from the blended rice. It is not meant to be fluffy like a wheat-flour muffin or stretchy like mochi. The ube marble changes the aroma and appearance while leaving the rice base as the main character.

The Rice Base Matters

This recipe uses soaked, uncooked regular white rice, blended into a smooth batter. It does not use packaged rice flour, and it should not be made with glutinous or sweet rice flour. Glutinous rice creates a much stickier result, whereas this soaked-rice batter gives a softer, slightly more substantial puto.

Soaking softens the grains so the blender can make a fine batter. Drain the rice well, then blend it with the measured water until it no longer feels gritty. Because there is no wheat flour here, gentle mixing is about keeping the batter even and aerated, not avoiding gluten development.

How the Ube Marble Works

The purple portion uses ube extract, not ube halaya. Mix the extract into only the reserved batter, spoon a little over each filled mould, and use one or two light swirls with a skewer. More stirring will blur the contrast and make the whole cake purple.

How to Steam Puto Properly

Preheat the steamer before the moulds go in, keeping the water below the rack. A steady medium boil gives reliable steam without forceful bubbling that can crack tops or splash water onto the cakes. Do not open the lid repeatedly during the first 15 minutes, when the baking powder is helping the batter set and rise.

Condensation is different from an undercooked centre. A set cake with clear droplets on top needs better lid control; a wet, pasty centre needs more steaming. A towel-wrapped metal lid can catch condensation, provided it is tied securely on top and never allowed to hang near the heat source.

Puto Bigas Troubleshooting

Gummy or coarse texture

Blend the soaked rice until completely smooth, use regular rather than glutinous rice, and keep the steamer at a steady boil. If you use deeper moulds, allow more time and check the centre with a skewer.

Dense puto or little rise

Use fresh baking powder and stir it in just before steaming. A cold or weak steamer and batter that waits too long after leavening are the most likely causes with this rice-based formula.

Wet tops or a lost marble

Wet tops are usually condensation; wrap and secure a metal lid with a clean towel. For distinct marbling, keep the ube portion small and swirl only once or twice. If the skewer still shows batter, return the puto to the steamer rather than treating the moisture as condensation.

Serving, Storage, and Related Kakanin

Serve puto bigas slightly warm or at room temperature for merienda, breakfast, or a light dessert. For a quicker flour-based steamed version, see Fluffy Filipino Puto; Trio Kutsinta offers a firmer, chewier steamed rice-cake contrast. The broader Kakanin Recipes collection is the better place to explore related Filipino rice cakes.

The cakes are best on the day they are steamed. Refrigeration is useful for up to two days, but it firms the rice texture; brief re-steaming or microwaving under a damp paper towel restores softness.