Ube Macapuno Cake Recipe

Ube Macapuno Cake

The cake I made before used Ube Halaya which depending on where you are, may be hard to come by.

Hmmm… perhaps ube powder is more easily accessible to most of you (than Ube Halaya) so I tried experimenting with baking an Ube Cake using Ube Powder.

And wow, it was so good and moist, and I think even better than the one using Ube Halaya.

Ube Macapuno Cake

Most of the Ube Cake recipes you can find are recipes for chiffon cakes. This one is different. It’s easier to make with ingredients you can easily find in your area.

This cake results in a moist, light and fluffy with a great ube flavor in every bite. Coupled with a topping of macapuno, this cake is surely any ube lovers dream come true.

I bought ube powder when I went to the Asian market, and I was saving it for the time I’ll try out the ube recipes with ube powder.

The ube powder I used is the unsweetened variety. For this recipe, make sure not to use the sweetened one that is being used for shakes.

So, making a marvelous Ube Macapuno Cake has to start somewhere, right?

Ube Macapuno Cake

Prepare the Wet and Dry Ingredients:

Here’s how. First, we’ve got to prepare Team Dry Ingredients (TDI) and Team Wet Ingredients (TWI).

Sift together TDI – flour, baking powder, baking soda, ube powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, mix together TWI – milk, yogurt, and ube flavor powder. For the flour, in case you don’t have all purpose flour, you can use cake flour instead.

For the milk, I used fresh milk but you can substitute it with evaporated milk or full cream milk but not low fat milk.

Yogurt can be substituted with sour cream or Yakult. Set both TDI and TWI aside.

For Ube Cake Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup ube powder (unsweetened) available in Asian stores
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup yogurt
• 4 teaspoon ube flavoring (like McCormick) available in Asian stores

the Frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 teaspoon ube flavoring
• ⅓ cup macapuno (preserved coconut for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients, flour, ube powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, Team Dry Ingredients (TDI). Set aside.
3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix together the yogurt, milk and ube flavor, Team Wet Ingredients.
5. Add in one third of the dry ingredients and then add in one half of the wet ingredients.
6. Repeat step 5 untill all our combined. Just barely mix, until you cannot see streaks of flour in the batter.
7. Pour into two lined 6-inch pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Make sure to tap the pans used to release air bubbles before baking. Let it cool.
8. To make the frosting, mix together butter, ube flavor and butter. Sift the powdered sugar and add to the butter mixture slowly. Mix until smooth.
9. To assemble, cool cakes first. Divide the cake into four layers. For every layer, add ⅓ cup frosting in between. Cover the cake with frosting and top with macapuno.

Directions:

① Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Cream the butter and sugar

② Add one-third of TDI (Team Dry Ingredients). Add one half of TWI (Team Wet Ingredients).

③ Add another third of TDI then half of TWI and lastly, add the rest of TDI. Mix together until just barely combined.

Mix Together

④ Line two six inch pans with parchment paper. Pour equal amounts of the ube cake batter into the two pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 mins or until done.

⑤ To make the frosting, mix together butter & ube flavor. Sift the powdered sugar and add to the butter mixture slowly. Mix until smooth.

Mix the butter, ube flavoring and add the powdered sugar

To Assemble:

① To assemble, divide the cakes into two layers (about 1 inch each or thicker if you want). Place the first layer in a pretty cake plate. Or a serving plate.

Cut the Ube Cake into a layer

② Place it in a pretty cake plate. Or a serving plate. And spread evenly. Continue until all layers are beautifully stacked up.

③ Cover the cake with ube frosting generously. I know, I still need to work on my frosting covering skills.

④ Pipe the edges with frosting and top with macapuno.

Pipe edges with frosting

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.