Key Takeaways
- This classic ube chiffon cake is tall, soft, fluffy, and naturally lavender — the Filipino bakery staple, made foolproof for home bakers.
- The signature feathery texture comes from whipped egg whites folded into a batter — no mixer required, just a whisk and a clean bowl.
- Uses 4 tablespoons of real organic ube powder per 9-inch cake — bloomed in warm milk for maximum color and even flavor.
- Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes. Serves 10. Stores in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
If there's one ube dessert worth learning to bake at home, it's the classic ube chiffon cake. It's the Filipino bakery staple — tall, soft, slightly springy, and so lavender-purple it doesn't look real. With real ube powder as the active ingredient, you can pull off a cake at home that rivals the best Filipino bakeries in 80 minutes total. No stand mixer needed.
Why This Recipe Works
Most home ube cake recipes fail in one of two ways: they go neon purple from food coloring, or they come out dense and dry from over-mixing. This version solves both problems:
- The color is natural — comes from 4 tablespoons of real ube powder, bloomed in warm milk to develop the anthocyanin pigment fully.
- The texture is feathery — egg whites whipped to soft peaks then folded gently keep the cake tall and tender. You won't deflate it if you fold by hand with a spatula.
- The flavor is real — vanilla, hazelnut, faint earth. Nothing artificial.
For comparison with other ube cake styles (mochi cake, roll cake, sheet cake), read our types of ube cake guide.
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch cake (serves 10)
Wet:
- 5 large egg yolks (room temperature)
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed
- 4 tablespoons real organic ube powder
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (canola, avocado, or grapeseed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 tablespoon ube halaya for extra depth and color
Dry:
- 1 cup cake flour (or all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons)
- ½ cup white sugar (for yolks)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Meringue:
- 5 large egg whites (room temperature)
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or ½ teaspoon lemon juice)
- ½ cup white sugar (for whites)
Equipment
- One 9-inch round cake pan (or 9-inch tube pan for traditional chiffon look) — do NOT grease
- Two large mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or whisk for meringue
- Rubber spatula
- Fine-mesh sifter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Position the rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Bloom the ube. In a small bowl, whisk the ube powder into the warmed milk (just lukewarm, not hot) until fully smooth. Let it sit for 5 minutes. This rehydrates the powder and prevents purple speckles.
- Make the yolk base. In a large bowl, whisk the 5 egg yolks with ½ cup of sugar until pale and slightly thickened (about 2 minutes). Whisk in oil, vanilla, and the bloomed ube-milk mixture. If using, whisk in the tablespoon of ube halaya.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the yolk mixture. Whisk gently just until smooth. Set aside.
- Whip the meringue. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy (about 30 seconds). Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar in 3 additions, whipping until you reach medium-stiff peaks (the tips curl slightly when you lift the whisk).
- Fold the meringue into the batter. Add ⅓ of the meringue to the ube batter and stir to lighten. Then add the rest of the meringue and fold gently — over-and-under motion with a spatula — until just combined. Don't deflate the air.
- Bake. Pour into the ungreased pan. Tap once on the counter to release large air bubbles. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool upside down. Invert the pan immediately when it comes out of the oven and let it cool fully upside down for at least 1 hour. This prevents the cake from collapsing under its own weight. (If using a regular cake pan, balance the inverted pan on four sturdy cups so air can circulate underneath.)
- Unmold. Run a thin knife around the edges. Tip the cake out gently. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, or frost with ube buttercream for a fancier finish.
Pro Tip: The "do NOT grease the pan" instruction is critical for chiffon cake. The batter needs to climb the sides of the pan to rise tall. A greased pan causes a flat, dense cake. Same with the upside-down cooling — it prevents the cake from sinking.
Optional: Ube Buttercream Frosting
If you want to frost the cake (highly recommended for a birthday or special occasion):
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons real ube powder
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat butter on medium for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, ube powder, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low to combine, then on medium-high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cake with an offset spatula. Pipe rosettes if desired.
Storage and Make-Ahead
- Room temperature: Unfrosted cake keeps 3 days in an airtight container. Frosted cake should be refrigerated.
- Refrigerated: Up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes before serving for best texture.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly. Up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Variations
- Ube ube layered cake: Bake 2 thin layers, fill with ube halaya, frost with ube buttercream.
- Mini ube cupcakes: Pour batter into lined cupcake tins, bake 18–22 minutes. See our ube cupcakes recipe.
- Ube mug cake: For a single-serving 3-minute version, see our ube mug cake recipe.
- Ube roll cake: Bake in a jelly-roll pan for 15 minutes, roll while warm with ube whipped cream filling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my ube cake turn brown instead of purple?
Overbaking is the most common cause. Ube proteins brown faster than wheat proteins. Pull the cake the moment a toothpick comes out clean. Also: too much oven heat (above 325°F) causes browning. Use an oven thermometer if yours runs hot.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes — substitute 1 cup AP flour minus 2 tablespoons, then add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. This mimics cake flour's lower protein content. The cake will be slightly less feathery but still excellent.
My meringue won't form peaks. What went wrong?
Three common causes: (1) Even a drop of egg yolk in the whites — yolks contain fat that prevents whipping. (2) The bowl was not perfectly clean and dry. (3) The egg whites were too cold. Use room-temperature whites in a glass or metal bowl that's been wiped with lemon juice or white vinegar.
Can I make this cake without ube powder?
You can substitute 1 cup of mashed cooked ube for the 4 tablespoons of powder + ½ cup milk, but the texture will be slightly denser and harder to control. Real ube powder is much more reliable. Don't substitute ube extract — it adds artificial color without real flavor depth.
Can I make this cake gluten-free?
Substitute the cake flour 1:1 with a high-quality gluten-free cake flour blend (Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure-for-Measure both work). Add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum if your blend doesn't include it. Texture will be slightly more delicate but the flavor stays identical.
Real Filipino purple yam makes the cake taller, fluffier, more purple.
4 tablespoons of organic ube powder = one 9-inch cake. No food dye, no artificial flavoring. Single-ingredient real ube.
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