Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 50 g butter
• 250 g cream cheese
• 110 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod (optional)
• 60 g all purpose flour
• 20 g cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp calamansi (or lemon) juice
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 140 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling or icing

• 2 cans condensed milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup grated cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a small pan over simmering water, melt together cream cheese, butter and milk. If you opt to use vanilla beans, scrape the beans from the vanilla pod and add it to the pan. Once melted, cool to room temp. Using a mixer, add in flour, cornstarch, salt. Then add in egg yolks and lastlythe lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy (or frothy). Add in vanilla then gradually add sugar until stiff peaks form. Foldin the egg whites to the cream cheese mixture. Make sure everything is well combined.
3. Pour batter into an 8-inch round cake pan covered with parchment paper. Bake the cake in a water bath for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until done at 325F.
4. To make the icing, open two cans of condensed milk and pour it over a pan. Add in egg yolks and cook in low heat. Add in vanilla and almondextract. Cook until it thickens enough to spread. Add in butter.
5. To assemble the Yema Cake, divide cake into two. Add the filling then cover it with the other half of the cake. Cover the rest of the cake with icing. Top with grated cheese.

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes