Ube Cake ala Red Ribbon
A soft and fluffy Filipino ube cake made with ube flavoring and ube halaya, layered and covered with a creamy cream cheese frosting, then decorated with crushed cake crumbs for a beautiful bakery-style finish.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Whisk
- Sifter
- Rubber Spatula
- 6×6-inch cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cake knife
- Baking rack
- Blender or food processor
- Piping bag optional
Ingredients
For the Cake Meringue
- 4 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup white sugar
For the Cake Batter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons ube flavoring
- ¼ cup ube halaya
For the Frosting
- 2 cups all-purpose cream
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 cup cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
Prepare the Meringue
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
- Sift together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add the salt and sugar, then mix well. Set aside.
Make the Ube Cake Batter
- In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, milk, ube flavoring, and ube halaya. Mix until well incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture while stirring until you have a smooth batter.
Fold in the Meringue
- Add the meringue to the batter in portions. Gently fold with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated. Avoid overmixing so the cake remains light and fluffy.
Bake the Cake
- Line two 6×6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and gently tap the pans on the counter to release large air bubbles.
- Bake in a preheated 340°F (170°C) oven for 28–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Transfer the cakes to a baking rack. Let them cool completely before removing the parchment paper.
Make the Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla essence until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the all-purpose cream while continuing to beat until the frosting becomes smooth and spreadable.
Assemble the Ube Cake
- Once the cakes have cooled, cut them into layers as needed. Reserve one portion of the cake and place it in a blender or food processor. Pulse until it becomes fine crumbs.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a layer of frosting over it. Add the next cake layer and repeat until the cake is assembled.
- Cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Press the reserved cake crumbs gently onto the frosting to create the classic bakery-style finish.
- Use the remaining frosting in a piping bag to add decorative borders or designs.
- Chill the cake before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Make sure the egg whites are beaten in a clean, grease-free bowl so they can reach stiff peaks properly.
- Fold the meringue gently into the batter. Overmixing can deflate the egg whites and result in a denser cake.
- Ube halaya gives the cake a richer purple-yam flavor and complements the ube flavoring.
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- For a smoother frosting, make sure the cream cheese is softened before mixing.
- Chilling the finished cake helps the frosting set and makes the cake easier to slice.
- For the best bakery-style appearance, use fine cake crumbs to cover the sides and top of the cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 7gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 310mgSugar: 31g
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