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A three-layer ube cake with vibrant purple crumb, smooth purple frosting, blueberries, coconut shreds, and edible flowers on a white cake stand, with a matching slice on a small plate.

The Best Ube Cake Recipe (Moist, Vividly Purple, From Scratch)

A moist, from-scratch Filipino purple yam cake with real vibrant color and rich ube buttercream. This homemade ube cake explains exactly how to keep its signature color bright instead of watching it fade.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 12 Servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Filipino
Calories: 510
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ube Cake Layers
  • 3 cups cake flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil vegetable or canola
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup coconut milk room temperature
  • 1/2 cup ube halaya purple yam jam
Ube Buttercream
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1/4 cup ube halaya
  • 1 to 2 tsp ube extract to taste and color
  • 1 pinch salt

Equipment

  • 3 8 or 9 inch round cake pans For the classic layer cake height
  • 1 KitchenAid stand mixer or hand mixer For creaming and frosting
  • 1 Digital kitchen scale For accurate flour measurement
  • 1 Offset spatula For smooth frosting application
  • 1 Wire cooling rack For cooling layers evenly
  • 1 Cake turntable For even, professional frosting
  • As needed For easy layer release For easy layer release

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.
    Three round metal baking pans, greased, floured, and lined with parchment paper rounds, sitting on a wooden countertop.
  2. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
    A large glass bowl filled with cake flour, baking powder, and salt on a wooden countertop.
  3. In a stand mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
    A glass bowl containing light and fluffy creamed butter, oil, and sugar mixture for The Best Ube Cake on a wooden countertop.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined after each.
    A glass bowl containing smooth, well-mixed cake batter after adding eggs one at a time for The Best Ube Cake on a wooden countertop.
  5. Mix in the ube halaya and ube extract until evenly combined.
    A glass bowl filled with vibrant purple cake batter swirling with ube halaya and extract on a wooden countertop.
  6. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk in two additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
    A glass bowl showing flour being mixed into vivid purple ube batter alternately with coconut milk for The Best Ube Cake
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the three pans and bake for 24 to 28 minutes, checking a few minutes early, until a toothpick comes out clean.
    Three round baking pans filled evenly with vibrant purple ube cake batter, sitting on a wooden tabletop.
  8. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
    Three baked purple ube cake layers cooling completely on a wire rack on a wooden tabletop.
  9. Beat the butter alone for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, then mix in the ube halaya and ube extract to taste.
    A glass bowl filled with smooth, creamy purple ube buttercream frosting on a wooden countertop.
  10. Frost between each layer, apply a thin crumb coat, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then apply the final coat of frosting and top with macapuno strings if using.
    A fully frosted smooth purple ube cake on a white cake stand, topped with white macapuno strings.

Notes

  • Don't overbake. The purple color fades fast once the crumb dries out.
  • Use ube halaya for flavor and ube extract for color. They serve different roles.
  • Store away from direct light to help preserve the color longer.
  • Store refrigerated up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.