Ube Cake

Name: Ube Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 300 g Ube halaya, softened; 200 g Flour, sifted; 240 ml Coconut milk, shaken; 4 Egg, room temperature; 120 g Macapuno, drained; 150 g Sugar; 115 g Butter, melted and cooled; 2 tsp Vanilla extract; 2 tsp Baking powder; ½ tsp Salt

Ube Cake · ready in 1 h 15 min · 8 servings · 514 kcal per serving · medium · 10 ingredients

A vivid purple Filipino celebration cake built on ube halaya, tender crumb, coconut milk richness, and a glossy macapuno finish.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 1 h 15 min
Serves: 8
kcal: 514
Difficulty: medium

Desserts Vegetarian

A QiMeal recipe · Updated 3 October 2026

Ingredients · 8 servings

300 gUbe halaya, softened
200 gFlour, sifted
240 mlCoconut milk, shaken
4Egg, room temperature
120 gMacapuno, drained (to serve)
150 gSugar
115 gButter, melted and cooled
2 tspVanilla extract
2 tspBaking powder
½ tspSalt

Equipment

oven, 20 cm round pan, parchment, mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, mixer, sieve, cooling rack, offset spatula, pastry brush, cake tester

Instructions

Mise en place
Gather all ingredients, a 20 cm round pan, parchment, bowls, whisk, spatula, mixer, scale, sieve, cooling rack, and offset spatula. · 8 min
What to look for: All ingredients are measured and tools are within reach.
Prepare pan
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F, butter the pan, line the base with parchment, and dust the sides lightly with flour. · 5 min
What to look for: The pan is evenly coated and the oven is fully preheated.
Mix dry base
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, then whisk until the leavening is evenly distributed. · 4 min
What to look for: The flour mixture looks fine, pale, and free of lumps.
Blend ube mixture
Beat the ube halaya, sugar, and cooled butter until smooth, then beat in the eggs 1 at a time until glossy. · 7 min
What to look for: The mixture is thick, shiny, and vividly purple.
Finish batter
Mix in coconut milk and vanilla extract, then fold in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain. · 5 min
What to look for: The batter is smooth, pourable, and evenly purple.
Bake cake
Pour the batter into the pan, level the top, and bake at 175°C / 350°F until the center springs back. · 35 min
When it is done: A tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter.
Cool cake
Rest the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it onto a rack and cool until barely warm. · 15 min
What to look for: The cake releases cleanly and holds its shape.
Serve cake
Spread drained macapuno over the top, slice into 8 portions, and serve at room temperature for the best ube aroma. · 4 min
What to look for: The cake is purple, glossy on top, and cut into neat wedges.

Nutrition (per serving)

kcal	514
Protein	7 g
Carbohydrates	67 g
of which sugars	41 g
Fat	24 g
of which saturated	17 g
Fibre	2 g
Sodium	331 mg

Nutri-ScoreD

Allergens

Contains: gluten, milk, eggs

Storage and reheating

Fridge: up to 4 days
Freezer: yes, up to 2 months
Chill covered. For serving, let slices stand at room temperature or microwave each slice for 10 seconds if a softer crumb is desired.

Ingredient substitutions

Coconut milk

Milk: Use only if coconut milk is unavailable, though the cake will taste less traditional.

Macapuno

Ube halaya: Use only as a fallback topping when macapuno is unavailable.