Ube Cake

Total Time Prep: 50 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling
Yield 6 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Our ube cake has two fluffy ube cake layers sandwiching an ube jam, and everything is frosted in ube Swiss meringue buttercream. Coconutty macapuno is the pièce de résistance.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ube extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • FROSTING/FILLING:
  • 3 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ube extract
  • 1/3 cup ube jam or preserves
  • 1/2 cup coconut macapuno

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ube extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Pour into 2 greased 6-in. round baking pans.
  2. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  3. In a heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg whites, sugar and salt until blended. Place over simmering water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160°, 8-10 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat. With whisk attachment of stand mixer, beat on high speed until cooled to 90°, about 20 minutes. Gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth. Whisk in ube extract.
  5. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with a thin layer of frosting. Pipe a border around the cake layer; fill with ube jam. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake. Place remaining frosting into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe a border around the bottom and top of the cake. Fill top with coconut macapuno. Store in the refrigerator until serving.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 798 calories, 44g fat (26g saturated fat), 104mg cholesterol, 572mg sodium, 96g carbohydrate (73g sugars, 1g fiber), 6g protein.

Ube cake highlights the sweet, yet earthy flavors of the purple yam with ube extract and ube jam. Coconut macapuno tops the two-tiered cake for a striking, traditional finish to the Filipino dessert. —Margaret Knoebel, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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