Description
Experience the vibrant and delicious flavors of The Best Ube Cake, a moist, fluffy Filipino-inspired purple yam cake layered with a luscious ube Swiss meringue buttercream. Perfect for celebrations or an indulgent treat, this recipe combines traditional ube jam and extract with a delicate sponge cake base and smooth buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Ube Cake
- 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ube extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk (room temperature)
- 8 pcs egg yolks from large eggs (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3.5 oz ube jam (about ½ cup, room temperature)
- Purple gel food colour (optional)
- 8 pcs egg whites from large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
For the Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 5 pcs egg whites from large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar (+ 2 tablespoons)
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter (cut into parts, room temperature)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Ube extract (to taste, about 3 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of three 8-inch round baking pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution and aeration.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a smaller bowl, mix ube extract, vegetable oil, and room temperature milk. Set aside.
- Beat Egg Yolks and Sugar: In another large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to beat egg yolks while gradually adding ⅓ cup granulated sugar, about a teaspoon at a time, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, approximately 7 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Add Ube Jam and Optional Coloring: Incorporate ube jam into the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth with no lumps remaining. If desired, add purple gel food coloring for a vibrant hue and stir until evenly colored.
- Alternate Folding Dry and Wet Mixtures: Fold one-third of the sifted flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture just until combined. Then add half of the milk mixture, followed by another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and finally the last of the flour, folding carefully each time to avoid overmixing.
- Beat Egg Whites to Soft Peaks: Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a clean handheld mixer, beat the 8 egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until frothy.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Gradually add ¾ cup granulated sugar into the egg whites a heaping teaspoon at a time, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Lighten Cake Batter with Meringue: Gently fold about one cup of the meringue into the cake batter to lighten it.
- Fold Remaining Meringue: Carefully fold in the remaining meringue until the batter is evenly blended, ensuring a light and airy texture.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with minimal crumbs.
- Cool the Cakes: Invert the pans onto a cooling rack and allow the cakes to cool completely to prevent condensation and sogginess.
- Prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream Base: Follow a basic Swiss meringue buttercream recipe using 5 egg whites, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 cups of unsalted butter. Whip until smooth and fluffy.
- Add Ube Flavor to Buttercream: Gradually add ¼ teaspoon of ube extract at a time into the buttercream, whipping until fully incorporated and evenly colored. Typically, about 3 teaspoons achieves desired flavor.
- Trim Cakes: Level the tops of the cooled cakes if uneven and trim the sides to remove any browned edges, revealing the vibrant purple interior.
- Assemble and Decorate: Layer the cakes with the ube buttercream frosting and decorate as desired, smoothing the frosting or adding decorative piping.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing and better texture.
- The purple gel food coloring is optional but helps accentuate the vibrant color of the ube cake.
- Ube jam and ube extract can be found in Filipino or Asian grocery stores or online.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after folding in the meringue to maintain its light and fluffy texture.
- Swiss meringue buttercream requires skillful temperature control when making meringue; use a candy thermometer if possible.
- Cool the cakes completely before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Filipino
Keywords: ube cake, Filipino dessert, purple yam cake, ube jam, ube buttercream, moist cake, celebration cake
