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.
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
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
Nutrition
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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.
Hello! Would this recipe work as a cake rather than cupcakes? And what would be the temperature and time required if I wanted to bake this as a cake? Just made this and it’s so delicious, thank you for the lovely recipe!
Hi Lucy! I am glad you liked them. To bake it as a cake, you can use a 9 or 8 inch round pan. Bake at 350 F For the time, I would say check at around the 20-30 minutes mark 🙂
Hi. Your butter for the swiss meringue Buttercream is a little confusing. When you say 1 and 1/2 stick, do you mean 1 cup and another 1/2 cup? 1 and 1/2 stick is just seem too little and wrong.
Hello, you nee 3/4 cup butter for the Swiss Meringue 🙂
There is a butter where it is available in sticks and on the packaging itself has measurements where you can cut the stick into half or quarter. I think that’s what Ms Sanna was referring to. We have that kind of butter here.
Thanks, Mary!
Hello ate! I cannot find ube flavouring/extract but I found ube powder. Does it work the same? Or do I still need to purchase the ube extract? Please let me know.
Thank you Ate!
Hi Justin! Sorry I have not tested this with ubw powder.
Hi Sanna – THANK YOU for all the wonderful recipes! Wanted to let you know that I tested this with 1/4 cup powder instead of extract, and it had a powdery aftertaste and smell. I’ll stick to the extract next time 🙂
Thanks again!
Hi Aly! I really, really appreciate your feedback! Thanks for that info!
Hi! Can i use ube powder and ube extract as well to get more of the ube flavor? Thanks!
Hi! I really want to tey your recipe. I’m just wondering if, intead of using butter, can I use vegetable oil? Most cakes and cupcakes call for vegetable oil and butter is not really accessible here in my place due to quarantine
Hello Saly! Unfortunately, I have not tested vegetable oil for this recipe so I cannot guarantee the result. If you try it, please keep me posted. Thank you!
Is it okay to use cake flour instead?
Hello Yannah! Yes you can. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Tried it and my family loves it. Will share your recipe!
Hello Donna! I am so happy you loved it! Thanks!
These look lovely! Can this recipe be used for a cake?
Yes you can use it for a cake. You will have to fill a pan until.it is 3/4 full amd watch for the baking time.
Hello, Sanna. May I ask how many grams is 1 and 1/4 stick of butter?
Hello there! It is 131 grams.
Do the egg whites need to be whipped before adding to the butter sugar mix?
Hi Amy! No you don’t need to whip it before adding 🙂 Happy Baking!
These were soooo good. My only piece of advice, dont overfill cupcakes!! The cake itself is delicious and I definitely could eat this without frosting but the meringue frosting is light and delicious!!!
Hello Christie! I am so happy that you liked this! I so agree on eating these plain! They are good even without the icing 🙂
Is this calling for 1 and 1/4 stick or 1/4cup stick of butter?
Hello Christie! Sorry for the late reply. It is 1 and 1/4 stick of butter 🙂
I don’t know if it’s the size of my muffin pan but it doesn’t seem to stretch to 17 servings for me
Just curious if we use the ube halaya instead?
Hello Mae,
Unfortunately, I have not used Ube halaya for this so I cannot guarantee the result. 🙂
What happens if yolks are included in the batter? Would prefer not to waste the yolks.
Hi Thessa! The whites helps with maintaining the vibrant purple cake crumb. With the yolks, they might not be as deep purple. You can use 2 whole eggs instead of three egg whites, although I have not personally tested this variation yet so I cannot guarantee the texture. It is worth a try, though. Thank you!
Thank you Sana. I’ll try the 2 whole eggs next time. I ended up using your chiffon ube cake recipe for my cupcakes. I’ll be serving them tonight.
Thanks, Thessa!
You can use the egg yolks to make Carbonara (Italian pasta dish from Rome made with egg, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper). Yummy!!
This is the best u be recipe ever ! It is true, using real u be will always give you something too dense if you even want to have a hint of u be flavor! I was hesitant when I read how much flavoring to use, but …..PERFECT! I made these a couple days ago for a birthday party & everybody loved them, my kids loved them, my husband loved, even I loved them. They came out so perfect. I couldn’t believe that I made swiss buttercream frosting that easily (being that i usually have a tough time with this baking thing). I had to say “Thank you”. Thank you for this recipe! I finally got to show my in-laws that i CAN do something! LoL , thanks again. God bless you,
Yes! I am so happy that you and your family liked them. Go, girl. Slay them with your baking 🙂 God bless you too and Thank you, too!