If you've noticed a wave of vibrant purple desserts taking over bakery cases, coffee shops, and your Instagram feed, there's a good chance ube is behind it. This purple Filipino yam has become one of the most buzzed-about ingredients in the food world, thanks to its naturally striking color and mildly sweet, slightly nutty flavor.
Want to get in on the trend in your own kitchen? We cracked open The Ube Baking Book by veteran baker and cookbook author Henry Awayan to find the best ube dessert recipe. Awayan's utterly gorgeous purple velvet cake is soft, tender, and laced with tangy cream cheese icing. Ube powder and extract contribute the yam's signature mellow flavor, making the final result equal parts beautiful and delicious. Even if you're not a pro food photographer, snapping a selfie with this creation is required.
Purple Velvet Ube Cake
Author: Henry Awayan
Cook Time: 30 min
Calories: 800 calories
Servings: 12 slices
Prep Time: 35 min
Ingredients
Purple-velvet cake
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup ube extract
- 3 tablespoons ube powder
- 3 ¾ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
Ube cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup ube extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the ube extract and ube powder until the batter is well combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter in alternating batches. After each addition, mix until just combined; do not overmix. Start by adding about a third of the dry mixture; mix to combine. Add half of the buttermilk and mix again. Repeat, then add the last third of the dry mixture. You should be starting and finishing with the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. It will fizz and double in size. Quickly fold this mixture into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops to ensure even baking.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ube cream cheese frosting
- In a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the ube extract until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
Assembly
- Once the cake layers are completely cooled, assemble the cake. Level the layers by evenly cutting off their tops. Spread the frosting on one cake layer. Place a second cake layer on top and frost it. Repeat with the third cake layer.
- Fill a pastry/piping bag fitted with tip #1M with the remaining frosting. Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe a star in a circular motion to create a rosette shape. Repeat around the cake, up the sides. and on the top.
The Ube Baking Book by Henry Awayan. © 2025 Ulysses Press. Photographs: © Maurice Ramirez.
