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Home > Recipes > Cake

Easy Ube Cupcakes

Published: Jan 20, 2021 • Updated: Aug 24, 2022 by: Mella • 12 Comments

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Moist, fluffy, and delicious ube flavored cupcakes! So easy to make and frost than a whole cake. Perfect for emergency ube cake cravings. I love these with our ube buttercream frosting because a cupcake isn't a cupcake without a frosting 🙂

Moist and Fluffy Cupcakes with Ube Flavor
Jump to:
  • Why you'll love these Ube Cupcakes
  • What you'll need
  • Ube Cupcakes Video Recipe
  • Complete Recipe
  • Comments

Why you'll love these Ube Cupcakes

  • The cake batter is easy to make–it's a straightforward cake recipe that is easier to make than a chiffon cake.
  • Easier to decorate compared to making a whole cake which needs more planning and decorating techniques.
  • Tastes like ube halaya, in cake form. I swear it's so good!
  • Moist, tender, and not too sweet. Everything I want in a cupcake.

What you'll need

Here's what you need for these cupcakes. They may look a lot, but trust me, each of these makes the ube flavor stand out!

Flour, sugar, eggs, milk, coconut milk, butter, ube flavor

Ube cupcakes key ingredients

  • Butter - use pure unsalted butter, the best quality you can find. I don't recommend substituting with margarine or oil as they lack flavor.
  • Oil - helps the cake stay moist. Another secret ingredient 😉
  • Milk - 3 types–canned coconut milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Sounds familiar? Yes, these are the key ingredients to making ube halaya and the secret ingredients of these cupcakes.
  • Vinegar - to be added to the evaporated milk and coconut milk to make buttermilk. This helps lift the cake as it bakes.
  • Ube flavor extract and color - in order to achieve that distinct ube flavor and color. Use purple for a lighter-colored cake or violet if you want it darker. I recommend using gel paste over liquid as they're less watery.
Purple Yam Cupcakes with Frosting

Tips for making these Ube Cupcakes

  • Use room temperature ingredients, this includes eggs, butter, and milk. Bring them out of the refrigerator 45mins – to 1 hour before you start baking. Room temperature ingredients make a smooth and uniform batter while cold ingredients do not blend together as easily which results in a flat cupcake.
  • Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy–this will make a finer and fluffy crumb.
  • Do not overmix the batter – overmixing can result in a denser, gummy cake.
  • Add the ube color to the liquid ingredients BEFORE adding in the dry ingredients. You can add more of it, if preferred, towards the end without overmixing the batter.

More Ube recipes you need to try...

  • 2 Ingredient Ube Ice Cream
  • Ube Ensaymada
  • Ube Cheese Bread 3 ways!
  • How to Make Ube Halaya
Ube Flavored Cupcakes with Frosting

Serve with Ube Buttercream Frosting

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with my super delicious less-sweet ube buttercream frosting. They're so good together. Really, a match made in heaven! Follow this link to get the recipe.

For minimally frosted cupcakes, you can use a simple spatula to spread the buttercream on top (see photo above). Or take it to the next level "bakery-style" by using a piping bag with a pastry tip.

Ube Flavored Cupcakes with Frosting
Ube Cupcakes with Ube Buttercream Frosting

Finally, sprinkle with cake crumbs on top to finish. No need for sprinkles.

After the cupcakes are frosted, refrigerate until ready to serve. I personally love it a little bit chilled. Soooo yummy!

Make-ahead, Storage and Shelf-life

Once the cupcakes have cooled, place them in an air-tight container without the frosting. These cupcakes should for 3 to 4 days if properly stored in the fridge.

Ube Cupcakes Video Recipe

Love baking? Try these cake recipes!

  • Ensaymada Cupcakes
  • Carrot Banana Muffins
  • Tres Leches Cake
  • Easy Chocolate Cake
  • Mocha Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting (the best!)
  • Chocolate Crinkle Cookies–soft & fudgy!
  • 19 EASY Filipino Desserts Recipes You Need to Try
  • One Bowl Sour Cream Banana Bread

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Complete Recipe

Moist and Fluffy Cupcakes with Ube Flavor

Ube Cupcakes–moist, fluffy and easy to make

Moist, fluffy, and delicious ube flavored cupcakes! So easy and simpe to make. Goes so well with ube buttercream frosting. Perfect for emergency ube cake cravings.
prep 30 mins
cook 25 mins
4.7 from 7 votes
author: Mella
Servings 12 cupcakes
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Ingredients
 

Milk

  • ½ cup coconut milk (canned, see note 1)
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice

Cupcake Batter

  • ½ cup butter (unsalted, softened)
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
  • ½ cup condensed milk (see note 2)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 teaspoon ube extract (add more if preferred, see note 3)
  • ¼ teaspoon violet or purple gel color (optional, see note 4)
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350f/180c. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake tin.
  • Combine coconut milk, evaporated milk, and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir briefly then set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Add condensed milk and whisk. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk after every addition.
  • Add oil, salt, ube extract, food color and milk mixture. Continue whisking until everything is combined. Taste and adjust ube flavor and color as needed.
  • Sift flour, and baking powder onto the wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Fill each cupcake liner with the batter. They should just be â…” full. Do not overfill.
  • Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Click here to get the ube buttercream frosting recipe.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

  1. Canned Coconut milk – avoid using those that contain thickeners like xanthan gum, guar gum, or carrageenan. It should, at the minimum, only have coconut milk and water.
  2. Condensed Milk - reduced up to ¼ cup for a less sweet cake.
  3. Ube flavor extract - the intensity of flavor may vary depending on the brand of extract you're using. Start with 2 teaspoon first then whisk the batter. Add more if ube flavor is not enough based on preference.
  4. Food color - if the ube extract you have colors the batter just enough then you don't have to use this. If using–use purple for a lighter colored cake or violet if you want it darker (which is what I used). I recommend using gel paste over liquid as they’re more concentrated and less watery. 
  5. Nutrition: per cupcake, frosting not included

Jump to Video
Course : Snack
Cuisine : Filipino
Keyword : purple yam cake, ube cake, ube halaya cake
Nutrition Facts
Ube Cupcakes–moist, fluffy and easy to make
Amount per Serving
Calories
256
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
 
10
g
63
%
Cholesterol
 
57
mg
19
%
Sodium
 
204
mg
9
%
Potassium
 
112
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
28
g
9
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
16
g
18
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
328
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
90
mg
9
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag @rivertenkitchen or leave a comment below!
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1.8K shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lois Cole says

    December 09, 2022 at 9:58 pm

    4 stars
    Thank you for this amazing recipe. This was my first experience with Ube. Although I am not exactly sure what Ube is supposed to taste like, I enjoyed the flavor. I frosted mine with stabilized whipped cream.

    Reply
    • Mella says

      December 12, 2022 at 1:32 am

      Ube is one of my favorite food flavors and I'm glad you enjoyed this. Whipped cream is a great great idea!
      - Mella

      Reply
  2. Joy Panem says

    August 24, 2022 at 1:10 am

    Thank you for sharing your recipe

    Reply
  3. Maria Fenwick says

    September 22, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    4 stars
    Hiya luv this cupcake I’ve made 2day thank u 4 this recipe. Can I share this recipe 2 my video?

    Reply
  4. Mae says

    June 01, 2021 at 10:00 am

    5 stars
    Really good, and not too sweet! The cupcake and icing combo was perfect! The cupcake stayed moist and soft, and the icing tasted of melted ube ice cream. Thank you so much for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Mella says

      June 01, 2021 at 11:51 am

      So happy you love this, Mae! Your description of the icing is on point 🙂 Melted ube ice cream sounds really delicious.
      - Mella

      Reply
      • Melinda says

        November 12, 2022 at 1:59 am

        5 stars
        The recipe title says it all! Moist, fluffy and really delicious,! Even the frosting was so good!
        I will make this for my friends and give it as a Christmas gift.

        Thanks, Mella!

        Reply
  5. Debbie P says

    May 28, 2021 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe . I tweaked it a bit by using Ube condensed milk. It was so good. The cupcakes stayed soft and moist even it was refrigerated. Really easy to make. The frosting is not so sweet .I brought them to a party and was gone in 2 hours. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
  6. Kzell says

    May 12, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    Made these little beauties today and I can confirm - THEY ARE AMAZING! I added some ube jam in the mixture and I think this made the ube flavour more intense. The icing was so so so good too! And yes, these are very easy to make! Love it!!

    Reply
    • Jantel says

      September 28, 2021 at 2:50 pm

      Hi, did you adjust the recipe when you added the Ube jam?

      Reply
      • Kzell says

        September 30, 2021 at 3:16 am

        5 stars
        Hi! No I didn’t adjust it. Followed the recipe as it is and added 1/2 cup of ube jam. 🙂

        Reply
        • Jantel says

          October 01, 2021 at 1:13 am

          Thank you! I can’t wait to try this recipe and to add the Ube jam.

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