Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream boasts of a luscious frosting made of coconut milk, white chocolate and cream cheese. It is finished with a generous amount of shredded coconut for the ultimate ube-coconut treat.
26 days before Christmas, can you believe it? Around this time last year, I was working on the blog like crazy because of our upcoming vacation in the Philippines. Baking, scheduling posts, social media promotions and such. And now, the months have come to a full circle and it is the holidays again!
Which reminds me of all the festivities, grand decorations and the food. So this time is a good time to reminisce all those, and what other dessert items will come to my mind than ube. It is almost like ube is the national dessert in the Philippines come Christmas time.
Ube, or purple yam, is a crop similar to the sweet potatoes but it is unique in its pretty purple color and the distinct taste makes it an ideal base for desserts. It is often made into ice cream, candies, puddings, and of course, cakes.
Okay, allow me to entice you more. Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream- the grandest, most divine ube cake you can make for the holidays. I am so into that heavenly coconut cream. Imagine creamy coconut flavor, combined with luscious white chocolate, and to that add a hint of richness in the form of cream cheese.
Well, needless to say, this is one special ube-coconut cake. With that being said, this is not the type of cake that will send you running for a glass of water after the first bite. It is just pleasantly sweet and lightly indulgent. The sweetness is perfectly balanced with the earthy and tropical flavors.
The ube chiffon cake recipe calls for ube flavoring. I used McCormick brand here, but Ferna flavocol brand, is also a good one. Actually, I switch from one to the other whichever is available and I am always happy with the results.
Pointers and Tips for Making Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream
- For the chiffon cakes, the egg whites should be in room temperature for 30 minutes or so, prior to whipping. What I do is I separate the yolks from the whites while the eggs are still cold from the fridge. Then I allow them to sit for half an hour before moving on.
- The white chocolate coconut cream needs to chilled overnight. Straight from mixing, it will be runny. But an overnight chilling in the fridge will firm it up. So, this is a heads up that you need to make the coconut cream one day ahead.
- The cream cheese for the coconut cream needs to be really soft. I take the cream cheese blocks the night before I make the icing to give them time to really soften.
Making the White Chocolate Coconut Cream
- Heat the coconut milk and 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir often until the coconut milk has been absorbed/has evaporated.
- The end mixture should look like a coarse baby cereal. This should take about an hour. Immediately stir in the white chocolate chips until it has all melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Lay a plastic wrap over the mixture, with the plastic touching the surface of the mixture directly. This prevents the mixture to form a thick film as it cools. Let the mixture cool completely.
- Whip the cream cheese, icing sugar and whipping cream until fluffy. Fold this mixture to the coconut mixture using a rubber spatula. This mixture will be runny for a frosting so it needs to chill overnight in the fridge to firm up. Cover it in the same manner, that is, the plastic in contact with the mixture surface.
Ube-I love how this usually is associated with something special like birthdays, Christmas and lots of happy event. Making ube cake never fails to remind me of such beautiful memories, and eating this cake is a very nice way to be reminded! The flavors are a match made in heaven.
More Ube Goodness For You:
- Ube Chiffon Cake with Ube Whipped Buttercream
- Ube Taisan
- Ube Pie
- Ube Ensaymada
- Ube Bread Rolls
- Ube Cheesecake
- Ube Cupcakes with Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream
More Filipino Desserts to Love:
Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream
Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream boasts of a luscious frosting made of coconut milk, white chocolate and cream cheese. It is finished with a generous amount of shredded coconut for the ultimate ube-coconut treat.
Ingredients
For the Ube Chiffon Cake
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1 and 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tsp ube flavoring
- 7 large egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
For the White Chocolate Coconut Cream
- 400 ml can coconut milk
- 1 and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 3 8 oz block cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut for finishing
- ube polvoron, some commercial ube cupcakes for topping, optional
Instructions
Make the White Chocolate Coconut Cream
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In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and 1 cup shredded coconut. Stir them frequently over low to medium heat, until the shredded coconut has soaked up all of the coconut milk. This should take about an hour. The mixture should look like a coarse baby cereal.
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Immediately stir the white chocolate chips to the coconut mixture until it has all melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap with the plastic directly over the mixture, in contact with the mixture surface. Chill in the fridge until it is completely cool.
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In a mixing bowl, whip together softened cream cheese, icing sugar and whipping cream until fluffy and smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the cream cheese mixture to the coconut mixture. The cream will be soft and runny. Cover with plastic wrap again, with the plastic film touching the surface mixture. refrigerate overnight to firm up.
Make the Ube Chiffon Cake
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Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease the bottom of two 9- inch round baking pans and line the bottom part with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer), beat the egg whites until it is frothy. Add the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of sugar while beating, until the mixture form firm peaks. Set aside.
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In another large mixing bowl, stir together oil, milk, egg yolks and the ube flavoring. In another bowl, combine the flour, the remaining sugar, flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the yolk mixture and use a hand-held mixer to beat everything together until the mixture is smooth. Fold the egg whites to the yolk batter using a rubber spatula, until the mixture is well blended.
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Pour batter into the two 9-inch baking pans and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the pans on a wire rack to cool them slightly, then turn them over, remove the parchment paper and cool completely.
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To assemble the cake, lay one cake on a serving plate. Spread about 2 cups of the cream on top of the cake. Lay the second layer of the cake over the cream. Frost the sides and top of cake with the remaining cream. Cover the entire cake with shredded coconut. Top with ube polvoron and/or sliced ube cupcakes.
If you make this recipe, please share them with me by tagging me on instagram or use hashtag #womanscribbles. I’d like to see your baking!
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This looks amazing! Did you use the coconut milk in a can or carton?
I used the ones from the can. 🙂 Good luck and happy baking!