Ube Cake Recipe

Ube Cake Red Ribbon Copycat. Who said ube cake has to come from the store!? Make an unforgettable colorful, and delicious dessert from scratch with ease thanks to this Ube Cake (Red Ribbon Copycat) recipe! 

This is the best Ube cake using no Ube Halaya added. It’s a Red Ribbon Copycat. The base is from the Ube cake roll cake.  Filled with cream cheese frosting, you don’t need to be close to Red Ribbon to quench your Ube cake cravings.

What is Ube Cake?

Ube is a popular Filipino root vegetable known for its sweet flavor, bright purple color, and creamy texture. It is the perfect base for making a beautiful purple dessert!

Traditionally ube cakes are sponge cakes made with ube flavor and frosted with buttercream frosting. Craft the perfect Ube Cake (Red Ribbon Copycake) to impress your friends with ube flavor at your next celebration!

Ube is a Filipino yam used in many different recipes throughout the country, and it’s often cooked, mashed, and sweetened for desserts or served as a side dish. In this article, we’ll give you the treat of turning your ube yam into your favorite Filipino purple yam cake dessert.

Ube Cake Recipe Ingredients

For the Cake:

●    Egg Yolks – You will use the egg yolks for the cake, but don’t toss out the whites because you will use those for the meringue. 

●    White Granulated Sugar – This sweetener has the right neutral flavor for sweetening this cake. Optionally, you can swap it with pure granulated cane sugar. 

●    Coconut or Canola Oil – Coconut is a very traditional flavor in Filipino cooking, so it is an excellent choice for the oil in this cake; however, canola oil will work perfectly in its place. 

●    Coconut Milk – Coconut milk adds a creamy body to the sponge cake. You can also opt for cow’s milk or evaporated milk instead. 

●    Cake Flour – Cake flour has a very light texture and low protein content, making it perfect for this soft cake. Do not swap it with another flour because this will affect the texture of the finished ube cake. 

●    Ube Flavor – Many ube cakes rely on freshly cooked ube to build flavor, but this cake simplifies the sensational taste using ube flavoring. Look for this in the baking aisle or Asian section of your favorite grocery store. 

For the Meringue:

●    Egg Whites – Egg whites make the meringue base, adding some lovely body and texture to this ribbon cake. 

●    Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar helps to stabilize the meringue, so the texture is perfect! 

●    Granulated Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps the meringue whip up wonderfully!

●    Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is another stabilizing element that makes this meringue sweet and airy!

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

●    Heavy Whipping Cream – Heavy whipping cream is a fatty liquid dairy perfect for this whipped cream cheese filling.

●    Cream Cheese – Use a brick or container of cheese but remember to soften it before using it so it’s easier to work with.

●    Vanilla Extract – Use pure natural vanilla extract for a more authentic flavor. 

Equipment

●    6-Inch Cake Pans – You will need four of these cake pans.

●    Mixing Bowls and Utensils – A few bowls and mixing tools for mixing and mise en place is essential to this recipe.

●    Electric Mixer – An electric stand or hand mixer is the easiest way to make a perfect meringue without all the effort!

●    Food Processor – This cake is decorated with cake crumbs, and a food processor is the fastest way to whip up those crumbs. 

●    Piping Bag and Star Tip – A piping bag with a star tip makes frosting easy and gives this cake a delightful bakery-fresh look!

Step-by-Step Instructions

For the Ube Cake:

1. Line all four 6-inch pans with parchment paper. Don’t grease the pans!
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the wire rack in the middle position.
3. Add one teaspoon of ube flavor to the measuring glass and the milk to a total liquid of 100 ml.
4. Add the egg yolks to a mixing bowl.
5. Add the sugar and mix, then add the cake flour and continue mixing.
6. Add the oil and coconut milk mixture and mix using a wire whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Add the extra teaspoon of ube flavoring mix and set aside. 

For the Meringue: 

1. Mix the egg whites until frothy in a stand mixer bowl.
2. Add the cream of tartar and keep mixing. Add the sugar intermittently with three additions and mix until stiff peaks. You can tell if it is stiff peaks when meringue forms a horn when you pull the whisk upward.

For the Chiffon Cake:

1. Scoop about a cup of the meringue mixture and add it to the egg yolk mixture.
2. Use a spatula to do the folding method of mixing. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolks, don’t fold too hard, or you have a hard chiffon cake.
3. Add this mixture to the rest of the meringue and fold together.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pans, pouring an even amount of cake batter into each pan. Tap the pan on a flat surface to remove air bubbles.
5. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes using a toothpick test method – insert the toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is cooked.
6. Let cool until the pan is cold to the touch, and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool the cake completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth.
2. Slowly, working in about four intervals, add the heavy whipping cream to the cream cheese and mix until it resembles a liquid mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until nice and smooth with stiff peaks.
4. Use immediately.

To Assemble the Cake:

1. Remove parchment paper from the cakes and process one layer in the processor for rough crumbs to cover the cake.
2. Put one cup of the frosting into the piping bag.
3. Place one layer and top with the frosting.
4. Place the next layer and frost.
5. Top with the last layer of cake and frost the cake completely.
6. Cover the whole cake with the cake crumbs and decorate using your favorite decorating tip. 

Should Ube Cake be Refrigerated?

While making the cake to help with the frosting process, you might want to pop this ube cake into the fridge for 10 to 30 minutes. Lightly chilled cake holds up to the frosting better and helps avoid a melty mess. 

After you’ve finished this beautiful ube cake, you can store the leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

What is the Difference: between Taro and Ube?

Taro and ube are both popular root vegetables used in different styles of Asian cuisine, but that is about all these misunderstood roots have in common.

Taro has brown skin and white flesh. Its inside is white and filled with earthy, nutty flavor notes. In contrast, ube has purple skin and flesh and a wonderfully sweet and vanilla-like flavor. Both roots are popular in the culinary world, but ube is used for dessert, while taro will more often be used in a savory dish. 

Expert Tips

● Please check out the video for visual instructions on measuring the flavoring and more!

● ‘Stiff peaks’ means when you pull a beater out of the frosting or meringue, the frosting will stick to the beater like a little mountain, and the tip of the mountain won’t fall. 

● You can eyeball or weigh the batter to make even-sized cakes.

● Layers of sweet flavors come together to make this beautiful purple cake, but the key to decorating is organization! Set up your piping bags and make your cake crumbs before starting so everything is where you want it!

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy

If you love this traditional Filipino dessert, try these other easy and delicious dessert ideas!

●    Twisted Doughnut Recipe (Shakoy Step-by-Step Instructions)

●    Smooth Leche Flan with Cream Cheese

●    Filipino Mango Float Cake (Filipino Style Ice Box Cake)

●    Air Fryer Costco Apple Pie Rolls

Substitutions

Do not worry if you don’t have the ingredients listed for this ube cake recipe. Although we’re making cake ala Red Ribbon, you can always use whatever options you want and set your style according to your taste preferences. Here are some substitutions you can do:

Cake flour with all-purpose flour

I prefer to use cake flour because it can give more structure to our ube cake, and you’ll always have great results. This is perfect to use since it’s low in protein and high in starch which can produce soft, moist, and fluffy chiffon cakes. However, you’re free to use all-purpose flour if that’s what you prefer or if that’s available in your area, but it may produce a more dense and compacted chiffon cake layer because of its high gluten content. So this is something you should also take into consideration.

Coconut/canola oil with vegetable oil

I recommend using coconut/canola oil because it reduces cholesterol and helps trap air within the batter to produce extra fluffy chiffon cakes. On the other hand, vegetable oil can affect the taste of our ube cake, so this must be at the bottom of your options.

Coconut milk with evaporated or whole milk

Coconut milk is very creamy and can provide more moisture once baked, and I would also prefer to reduce the amount of liquid. It is already rich, so this should be your first choice. But hey, if there’s nothing else on the cupboard, you can use evaporated or whole milk because these are good too. If you have a sweet tooth, this type of milk will do.

More Ube Cake Questions

What is Ube cake made from?

• Ube cake comprises all-purpose flour, sugar, coconut oil, and eggs.

Where did Ube cake originate?

• Ube cake is a traditional Filipino chiffon cake made of mashed purple yam. An ube flavoring can also replace the Ube Halaya if unavailable to you.

What goes well with ube?

• Ube can be eaten by itself when it is cooked by boiling. It can also be added to your  Ube Crinkles,

and an excellent ingredient for Ube Cake Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting.

What is Ube ice cream made of?

I posted an Ube Ice Cream while back with only three ingredients: Condensed Milk, Ube FLavoring, and heavy whipping cream.

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Ube Cake Red Ribbon Copycat

This Ube Cake Red Ribbon Copycat is moist, sweet and soft. Filled with cream cheese frosting, you don't need to be close to Red Ribbon to quench  your Ube cake yearnings.

4.20 from 21 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: filipino cuisine

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Shobelyn Dayrit

Equipment

• 1 electric stand mixer
• spatula
• bowl
• measuring cup

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 6 egg yolks separated
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 40 ml coconut/canola oil
• 100 ml coconut milk/regular milk/evaporated
• 10 tablespoons cake flour
• 4 teaspoons Ube flavor separated

MERINGUE:

• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 11 tablespoons granulated sugar
• powdered sugar to spread generously on the cooked cake

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE ROLL:

• Line (4) FOUR 6 inch pan with parchment paper. Don't grease the pan.
• Preheat the oven at 350 F and put the wire rack at the of the oven.
• Add 1 teaspoon of ube flavor to the measuring glass (please check video) add the milk to a total liquid of 100 ml.
• Put egg yolks in a small bowl.
• Add in the sugar and mix. Add the cake flour. Mix
• Add the oil and coconut milk / ube flavor mixture and mix.
• Mix using a wire whisk until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
• Add the extra teaspoon of the Ube Flavoring
• Set aside.
• FOR THE MERINGUE: Put egg whites in a stand mixer bowl and mix until frothy.
• Add the cream of tartar and mix. Add the sugar intermittently. 3 times and mix until stiff peaks.
• You can tell if it is stiff peaks, when meringue forms a horn when you pull the whisk upward.
• PREPARING THE CHIFFON CAKE: When the meringue is ready, scoop about a cup of the meringue mixture and add it into the egg yolk mixture.
• Use a folding method in mixing. Using a spatula, the scooped mixture then pulls up until all of the mixtures are incorporated. Do this gently, folding too hard will result in a hard chiffon cake.
• Add mixture into the rest of the meringue and mix again using the folding method.
• Transfer mixture into a NON GREASE 6-inch pan and pour cake batter equally in each pan. You can eyeball or weigh the batter. tap the pan on a flat surface to remove air bubbles.
• Bake at preheated 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes using a toothpick test method - insert the toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is cooked.
• Let cool until pan is cold to touch and transfer cake in a cooling rack to cool the cake completely.
• CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Place cream cheese in a medium-size bowl and beat until soft and smooth.
• Add the heavy whipping cream slowly in about 4 intervals - until the cream cheese resembles a liquid mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat in between to smoothen the mixture.
• Beat until stiff peaks.
• Use immediately.
• ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Remove parchment paper from the cake and process one layer in the processor for rough crumbs to cover the cake.
• Take a cup of the frosting and put it into the piping bag.
• Place one layer and fill with the frosting.
• Put the other layer and frost.
• Top the last layer and frost the cake completely.
• Cover the whole cake with crumbs and decorate using your favorite decorating tip. I use the star tip in this cake.

Video

Notes

This cake does not work when making multi tiered stacked cakes because it is too delicate.

Make sure that cream cheese is smooth before adding the sugar.

The cream cheese frosting is very soft, so it is not applicable for cake decorating.

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