This recipe for Easy Ube Cupcakes requires white cake mix, ube extract or flavoring, and ube jam or Halaya (ha-lah-ya).
“Halaya” is Purple Yam or Ube that’s cooked down with milk and sugar to a thick paste consistency.
This post was originally published in Dec 2017. It has been updated
Watch how to make Easy Ube Cupcakes on You Tube here.
Where to find Ube Flavoring
I live in a small city so I have to rely on online sources to find extracts or flavorings. Here are the brands I use, cost, recipes per bottle, and link to purchase:
- Buterfly Ube Flavoring = 1 ounce – 3 recipes
- McCormick Ube Extract = 20 ml = 2 recipes
- Two McCormick Ube Extract = 40 ml = 4 recipes
*as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
Where to find Ube Jam
It’s cheaper to purchase ube jam in Asian groceries that have Filipino products. You can also make your own using Ube Powder or Powdered Purple Yam. I don’t recommend this since the recipe to make jam from ube powder requires more ingredients and a lot of elbow grease.
- Ube Purple Yam Spread = 2 pack = 2 recipes = 48 cupcakes
Icing and Frostings for Easy Ube Cupcakes
Ube, from experience, is best paired with coconut flavors but any frosting or icing will do!
- Coconut Cream Frosting
- Powdered Sugar Glaze
- Whipped Cream
- Buttercream
Tips:
- Ube extract is necessary. It makes the cake taste scrumptiously irresistible.
- Purple/Violet food coloring is optional but helps for deeper color
- Use any brand boxed white cake
Ube Cake is a memorable staple for anyone who grew up in the Philippines or for anyone who has close ties to Filipino Food. This recipe is extra memorable for me. Thanks to one of my best friends, Christine, who helped in creating the recipe for Easy Ube Cupcakes.
Easy Ube Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Icing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 12 oz jar Ube Jam
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 to 1 tsp Wilton's gel violet icing coloring
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon UBE extract
- 1 box white cake mix
- For coconut cream and sugar Frosting1/2 to 3/4 cup Coconut Cream use only the thick semi-solid part of the cream
- 3/4 cup Confectioner's Sugar sifted - optional
- To make frosting thick/stable:1 1/2 tsp Unflavored Gelatin
- 3 tablespoons of hot water
Instructions
- set cupcake liners in baking tin
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Cream Butter until light and fluffy
- Mix Ube, icing coloring, and ube extract
- Add egg one at a time and mix (do not over whip)
- Add cake mix
- Fold in mixture until no trace of cake mix is seen
- Adjust violet color to preference
- Spoon evenly into lined cupcake pan (about 24 cupcakes)
- Bake for 15 to 18 mins or until toothpick comes out clean
- Cool baking tin on wire rack
Notes
Hi! I’m about to try your recipe and I noticed that there’s no water or milk added into the batter. Am I reading it correctly?
Hi Jen, that’s correct, no water or milk. I also updated the post and added a video link on how to make the Easy Ube Cupcakes. Please follow, like, share the video too. Thanks for trying the recipe and I hope you like it! The video for the Coconut Cream Icing is in the works. happy baking!
Can I used the recipe to make an ube cake?
Hi, unfortunately, I’ve only made this recipe as a ring cake or bundt cake and not a sheet cake. For the bundt cake, bake time should be about 40-45 minutes.
Was wondering if you are going to make a video for ur Ube cake. Want to do this on 2 6” round pan. Thanks 😊 ~Meiko~
Hi Meiko! Thanks for your interest! Videos will be the priority for this year so stay tuned.
Hi,
I am curious why there is no liquid ( milk or water) in the recipe ?
Is this correct ?
Hi Cynthia, yes that’s correct, the eggs provide the liquid needed for the recipe.
Can you substitute Angel food for white cake mix with this recipe?
I’m not sure how it will turn out. It might work but highly possible that it won’t have the light and airy angel food cake texture.
I was worried about how dry it looked but followed the recipe and they came out great!
yay!