Ube Cake Ala Red Ribbon Recipe
This gorgeously looking ube cake is as delicious as it looks, with rich ube flavor inside and out, frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream, you will definitely love it. The perfect cake for all occasions!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls and rubber spatula
- Electric mixer and stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Double boiler/ deep pan
- 9-inch round pan (2 pcs)
- Serrated knife, palette knife and piping bag (cake assembly and decorating)
- Lazy Suzan and cake board (optional)
Ingredients
Batter:
- 8 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup ube halaya or jam
- 1 tablespoon ube extract
- 2 and ½ cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Meringue:
- 8 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Swiss meringue buttercream frosting:
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 and ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or essence
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making the cake:
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C/ 350 °F.
- Line 2 9-inch round baking pan with parchment or baking paper. Do not grease.
- In a big bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Then add milk and oil, ube halaya and ube extract. Place a sieve over the bowl and sift cake flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until just combine and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat egg whites in medium-high speed until foamy. Then add cream of tartar while beating. Add sugar little by little and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- Fold meringue carefully into the batter in 2-3 parts. Do not over mix the mixture to prevent forming too much air bubbles.
- Divide the mixture into two 9-inch round baking pan. Tap pan few times to release air bubbles. Bake for around 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake out of the oven and place in a wire rack. Immediately run a knife on the sides of the pan and turn the pan upside down to release the cake. Remove parchment paper to cool completely.
Preparing the Frosting:
- In a heat-proof bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Whisk until combine. In a pan with simmering water, place bowl on top, making sure that the bowl seal the pot completely and doesn't touch the water. You can use a double boiler if available.
- Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and temperature reaches 160 °F (around 3-5 minutes) using a candy thermometer. Or scoop a little mixture and rub between fingertips, if you feel that there are no more sugar granules, then it is ready.
- Remove the bowl over the pan and transfer mixture to a clean and dry stand mixer bowl. Start to beat in medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (around 15-20 minutes) and the bottom of bowl feels completely at room temperature and not warm (note: warm meringue will melt the butter).
- Once at room temperature, reduce speed to medium and add around 1 tablespoon of butter at a time, in interval of few seconds or just as fast as is it absorbed by the meringue. Once butter is all used up, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to beat until it reaches a thick whipped consistency, around 3 minutes on medium-high speed. If it looks liquid, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed for another minute until well combined.
Assembling the cake:
- Using a serrated knife, trim the top and sides of the cake to level and reveal the lovely color of the cake. Divide cakes into two and set aside trimmed portion and half of the cake for decoration use.
- Place one layer of the cake layer on a cake board. Spread frosting over the cake and level until it is around ¼ inch thick.
- Place second and third layer using the same procedure in the previous step.
- After layering the cake with frosting, start frosting the sides of cake. Put just enough for the cake crumbs to stick to it. Remember to leave some frosting for decoration on top.
- Grind the trimmed portion and half of the cake into a blender or food processor. Transfer into a bowl.
- Cover the entire cake with the cake crumbs and pipe out rosettes around the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Chill for about an hour before serving.
- Share and enjoy!
