Ube Cupcakes with Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream

These Ube Cupcakes have delicate, moist crumbs infused with ube flavor. The ube swiss meringue buttercream is a perfect icing to match the softness of the light ube cake. This is a simple, straight up recipe that uses ube flavoring.

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It is about three years ago when I first made these ube cupcakes for the blog. And oh man, they were. so. good. Perfectly moist with very delicate crumbs, they are my ultimate ube cupcake dream came to life.

There was one downside though, the recipe makes only ten cupcakes. Ten cupcakes? Who does a  recipe for only ten cupcakes, given the fact that the cupcakes were delicious, heavenly and perfect in every sense? Ten?

So, we are changing that today. I revised the recipe so you can get..wait..not 12,  but 17 ube cupcakes. All frosted with a delightful ube swiss meringue buttercream.

My goal was to have an ube cupcake recipe that uses only the real ube to get its ube flavor. I tried. I tested. But to my dismay, I find that I can only add so much of the ube before the cake becomes so dense for my liking. In the end, the cupcakes are not only lacking in color but also in flavor.

So, I made peace with this recipe because while it does not have the real ube, it is very addictive with its super delicate and moist crumbs (I know I sound like a broken record). And the ube flavor is definitely satisfying!

How To Make Ube Cupcakes?

Cream butter, baking powder, salt, sugar and ube flavor in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are fluffy and incorporated.

With the mixer on low speed, add the egg whites one at a time and mix for a few seconds until incorporated fully into the batter.

Add the flour 1/3 cup at a time, alternated by 1/2 cup of milk in between, mixing after each addition. You should have added the flour 3 times and the milk two times, beginning and ending with the flour.

Mix batter for a few more minutes just until smooth. Do not overmix. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and line a second one with 5 liners. Remember, 17 cupcakes? Pour the batter into each liner until they are 2/3 full.

Bake in a 350 F oven for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool cakes completely in a wire rack before frosting.

How to Make Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Add the egg whites and sugar and start whisking continuously using a wire whisk. Once the mixture turns from clear and yellowish to opaque and white and reaches a temperature of 160 F, turn off the heat. That should take about ten minutes or so.

Pour the egg whites mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, and start whisking on high speed until the mixture forms shiny and firm peaks.

This should take around 5-8 minutes and remember that you should only stop when the bowl is cool to the touch.

Add in the softened butter to the mixer and continue whisking. By softened, I don’t mean warm and melted. I also don’t mean, room temperature. The butter should be easily pliable when you press it with your fingers.

The buttercream might turn lumpy or might curdle for a moment. Keep whisking until a thick, fluffy icing takes form.

Add in the ube flavoring and continue whisking until combined. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature or use icing right away. Frost cupcakes as desired. I use an open star tip and pipe them flat.

So there! You will be amazed at how tasty and moist they are (said it again)! If you have always wanted ube cupcakes and can’t quite achieve the flavor using real ube, it is time you consider using ube flavorings.

You will be glad you did!

Pointers and Tips:

• I use Ferna Flavocol ube flavoring or Mc Cormick ube flavoring.
• Finally, store the ube cupcakes inside a sealed container at room temperature. Try to consume them within 2-3 days. Longer than that, they should be refrigerated and consumed as soon as possible.

Want more ube? Check these out:

• Ube Chiffon Cakes with Whipped Cream Icing
• Ube Bread Rolls
• Ube Taisan
• Ube Pie
• Ube Ensaymada
• Ube Cheesecake
• Ube Morning Buns
• Ube Cake with White Chocolate Coconut Cream
• Ube Loaf Bread
• Ube Pianono

Ube Cupcakes with Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This ube cupcake with ube wiss meringue buttercream is a simple, straight recipe that uses ube flavoring. Soft, delicate and definitely strong on the ube.

4.80 from 10 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: purple yam, ube halaya

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 17

Calories: 213kcal

Author: sanna

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1 and 1/4 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 and 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 tbsp baking powder
• 1 and 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 teaspoons ube flavoring Flavacol or Mc Cormick
• 3 egg whites room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk room temperature

For the Ube Swiss meringue buttercream

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 stick unsalted butter softened
• 1 tbsp ube flavoring

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, and line a second one with 5 liners. This recipe makes 17. Cream butter, baking powder, salt, sugar and ube flavor in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are fluffy and incorporated.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the egg whites one at a time and mix for a few seconds until incorporated fully into the batter.
• Add ⅓ of the flour and continue mixing. Add in half of the milk, mix then add another third of the flour. Add the remaining half of milk, mix until incorporated and finally add the remaining third of the flour. Mix batter for a few more minutes just until smooth. Spoon into the cups until they are 2/3 full. Bake in a 350 F oven for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center of a cupcake come out clean. Cool cakes completely in a wire rack before frosting.

For the Swiss Meringue buttercream:

• Fill a cooking pot with about 2-3  inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer. Place a heat-proof glass bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. It should be a bowl that fits perfectly over the pot. The simmering water should not be touching the bottom of the bowl. If it does, you need to lessen the amount of water carefully. 
• Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl and start whisking continuously using a wire whisk. Once the mixture turns frothy and white and reaches a temperature of 160 F, turn off the heat. That should take about ten minutes or so. Pour the egg whites mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk. Start whisking on high speed until the mixture forms shiny and firm peaks. This should take around 5-8 minutes. The bowl should be cold to the touch.
•  Add in the softened butter to the mixer and continue whisking. The buttercream might turn lumpy or might curdle for a moment. Keep whisking until a thick, fluffy icing takes form. Add in the ube flavoring and continue whisking until combined. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature or use icing right away.

Video

Notes

In cooking the egg whites for the buttercream, a temperature of 160F is necessary to be attained and maintained for about three minutes to get rid of any salmonella present in the eggs. The cupcakes are best stored in room temperature, inside a tightly sealed container. Consume within 3-4 days.

Nutrition Facts

Ube Cupcakes with Ube Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)

Calories 213 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 160mg7%

Potassium 93mg3%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 225IU5%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 93mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.4mg

*Affiliate links: please see disclosure page to learn more.

The two photography books that helped me greatly in improving the food photos here in the blog:

I use these books to get composition tips and ideas. The Tasty food photography ebook is written in a straight forward, easy to understand style. The Plate to Pixel contains a vast  knowledge about camera settings and technicalities, composition tips and styling. Both books are very helpful to step up and improve your food photography.