The ube cake, also known as purple yam cake, is one of the most iconic bakes in the Philippines. Its lavender crumb, airy texture and subtle vanilla scent make it a real showpiece on the dessert table. Long confined to Filipino bakeries and a handful of specialist cafés, it is finally within reach of every kitchen thanks to ube powder. At Ubedia, our powder comes from the Kinampay variety grown in the Visayas, and it gives this cake a beautiful natural colour and an authentic flavour. In this recipe we share our French take on the ube cake: a soft loaf cake, easy to get right, with an optional cream cheese frosting that recalls the famous ube rolls. No colouring, no artificial flavouring: the purple magic comes from the Filipino tuber alone.
The ingredient behind this recipe: Natural Ube Powder 200 g — 16.90 € (≈50 drinks), 100% Kinampay purple yam, no additives and no added sugar, packed in Aix-en-Provence and shipped within 72 h.
Ingredients for one ube loaf cake (24 cm tin)
For a cake serving 6 to 8:
- 200 g plain flour (T55)
- 3 tablespoons of natural Ubedia ube powder (about 22 g)
- 150 g sugar
- 1 sachet of baking powder (11 g)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 120 ml whole milk or coconut milk
- 100 g melted butter (or 100 ml neutral oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For an even rounder flavour, swap the natural powder for our vanilla ube powder.
Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting (optional)
- 150 g cream cheese, well chilled
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon ube powder for a light tint
The ube cake recipe, step by step
- Preheat your oven to 170 °C (fan). Do not go higher: the colour of the ube holds better at this temperature.
- Butter and flour a 24 cm loaf tin, or line it with baking paper.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, ube powder, baking powder and salt together. Mix well. Sifting prevents lumps and gives a more even crumb.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar for 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and foamy.
- Add the warm melted butter and the vanilla. Mix.
- Fold in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk. Start and finish with the dry ingredients. The batter should be smooth and an even purple.
- Pour the batter into the tin. Smooth the surface.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Check with the blade of a knife: it should come out clean.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a rack.
The frosting: the indulgent finishing touch
While the cake cools completely, make the frosting:
- In a bowl, whisk the well-chilled cream cheese with the icing sugar, the vanilla and the teaspoon of ube powder.
- Mix until smooth and lightly mauve.
- Spread over the cooled cake. You can swirl it with the back of a spoon for a cloud-like effect.
- Decorate with a light dusting of ube powder and a few coconut shavings or some red berries.
Tips for a perfect ube cake
- Always sift the ube powder. That one step is what guarantees a lump-free crumb and an even colour.
- Take the eggs and butter out ahead of time. A smooth batter starts with room-temperature ingredients.
- Do not overbake. An overbaked cake loses its purple and turns browner. Start checking at 35 minutes.
- Choose a tin that is not too big. Too wide a tin gives a flat cake. The standard 24 x 10 cm loaf tin is ideal.
- Wait before frosting. The cake must be completely cold, otherwise the frosting will melt.
Variations to try
Once you have mastered the base, try:
- Coconut ube cake. Replace the milk with coconut milk and add 30 g of grated coconut. Use our coconut ube powder.
- Marbled ube. Divide the batter in two, colour one half more deeply, and alternate the layers in the tin for a white-and-purple marbled effect.
- Ube layer cake. Double the quantities, bake in two round tins and stack them with the frosting between the layers.
- Hazelnut ube. Use our hazelnut ube powder and add 30 g of crushed hazelnuts to the batter.
Storing ube cake
Unfrosted, the cake keeps for 3 days at room temperature under a cover, or 5 days in the fridge. Frosted, it keeps for 3 to 4 days chilled; take it out 20 minutes before serving. It also freezes very well (without the frosting), sliced into individual portions. To learn everything about keeping the powder itself, see our storage guide.
Can this cake be made gluten free?
Yes. Replace the wheat flour with a gluten-free baking blend (one containing a binder such as guar gum) in the same quantities. Add a tablespoon of cornflour to help the structure. As ube powder is naturally gluten free, it fits perfectly into a gluten-free recipe.
Why is my cake not very purple?
Three possible causes: not enough powder (try 4 tablespoons next time), baking at too high a temperature (above 180 °C the colour browns), or a ube powder that is blended down or weakly concentrated. At Ubedia, our pure Kinampay powder gives a reliably intense colour. Our dosage guide will help you adjust.
Where to buy ube powder for your cakes
For a successful ube cake, choose a pure, fragrant powder. At Ubedia, our powders come from the Kinampay variety of the Visayas in the Philippines, with no additives. Our vanilla ube powder 100 g is particularly well suited to baking. Browse our whole shop to choose your size. Want to carry on with another purple bake? Try our no-bake ube cheesecake recipe.
Going further
Discover all our ube recipes. Carry on with ube pancakes or the ube latte. To bake purple all year round, go for the 200 g ube powder.
