Taisan is a delicious dry cake from the Philippines generally enjoyed as an afternoon snack or sweet pick-me-up. It's not hard to find premade loaf-shaped taisan in groceries, supermarkets, bakeries all over the country. You can also buy slices of this famous chiffon cake in many places. But you don't have to travel too far to taste this delicious Filipino food. Our easy to make recipe will have you admiring the taste of this scrumptious chiffon cake in no time.

The dish is usually made with eggs, sugar, oil, butter, milk, flour, and baking powser. The dry and wet mixtures are mixed separately. Egg whites are the essential component in making the fluffy texture.
Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar to help them solidify. Mix the egg whites with sugar and then carefully fold them with the batter.
The next step is to bake the mixture in an oven or steamer. The cake is delicious served warm with melted butter on top, a generous sprinkling of sugar, and grated cheese. Serve with hot milk, tea, or coffee to complete the afternoon merienda or snack time.

Taisan Filipino Cake Recipe Origins
This tasty Filipino cake originated in the province of Pampanga and was popularized by Goldilocks, a famous bakeshop in the Philippines during the 70s and 80s. The word taisan means “whetstone” in Kapampangan or the Pampanga language, a reflection of how the dish is shaped.

Taisan closely resembles another typical snack called mamon, a small cake treat shaped using a cupcake mold. Variations of mamon include the rolled and butter-filled pianono. Both which have almost the same mix of batter. Taisan is a simple, no-frills, delicate dessert that is also super popular.

Taisan Filipino Chiffon Cake: Sweet and Fluffy Afternoon Snack
Taisan is a delicious chiffon cake made from whipped egg whites, egg yolks, butter, milk, and flour mixture. This popular dry cake is enjoyed as an afternoon snack. Learn how to make Taisan Filipino chiffon cake with our easy-to-follow recipe.
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/8 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1/8 cup evaporated Milk
- ½ tablespoon water (room temperature)
- ½ and 1/8 cup cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
Toppings
- 2-3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 cup grated cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixingbowl add 2 egg yolks and 1/8 cup of white sugar. Mix till eggs turn lighter in color.
- Add in 1/8 cup cooking oil, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, 1/8 cup evaporated milk, and ½ tablespoon room temperature water to the egg yolk mixture. Make sure that the batter is well blended.
- Sift in ½ and 1/8 cup cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix till the batter turns smooth and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl add in 3 egg whites and beat the egg whites until the mix turns bubbly. Once bubbles form on the egg whites mix, add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar.
- Beat the meringue mixture till there are soft peaks. Add 1/3 cup white sugar slowly while beating the meringue mixture.
- Stop when you reach medium-stiff peaks. The meringue mixture should be stable and shiny from the cream of tartar and sugar.
- Add the meringue mixture to the batter in 3 batches. Carefully fold by scraping the sides and passing through the middle. Repeating this procedure until there are no visible stripes of meringue left.
- In a baking pan or loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and generously cover all the sides with butter or vegetable oil.
- Pour batter into the pan. Tap the pan three times on the table carefully to remove air bubbles.
- Cover with foil to avoid burning the top of the loaf. Bake in a preheated oven at 335°F or 170° C for 30 to 45 minutes. The cake is ready if a toothpick poked in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cake pan on a baking rack to cool. The cake will deflate as it cools down.
- Using a knife, slowly scrape the edges of the cake and flip the pan. Tap the back to help loosen the Taisan. Carefully remove the parchment paper.
- Best served fresh from the oven brushed with butter or at room temperature with all the sweet and savory toppings like melted butter, sugar, and grated cheese.
Notes
When making the meringues, make sure that the bowl is clean with no moisture or oils left behind.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 9g
This information is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration
