Easy Ube Cupcakes

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

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.

Ingredients

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!

A few notes about the 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, fresh milk (or 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.

💭 Top tip: 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.

How to Make Ube Cupcakes

And here's how to make the best ube cupcakes:

• Make the buttermilk by combining coconut milk, full-cream milk, and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir briefly then set aside until it curdles, around 10 minutes.
• Whisk sugar and butter until fluffy then add eggs one at a time. This will make a finer and fluffy crumb.
• Add oil, salt, ube extract food color, and buttermilk mixture. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
• 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.

• Sift the dry ingredients to remove the lumps. You can do this directly into the wet ingredients using a fine-mesh strainer. There's no need for a separate bowl.
• Do not overmix the batter – overmixing can result in a denser, gummy cake.
• Fill the muffin pan lined with cupcake liners ¾ full to allow room for the cupcakes to rise.
• Tap the muffin pan one to two times on your kitchen counter to remove air pockets. This will prevent holes inside your cake.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 350f / 180c for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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.

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!

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 Flan Cake

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.

Watch How to Make It

Love baking? Try these cake recipes!

• Custard Cake (Vanilla Flan Cake)
  Easy Ube Flan Cake
• Ensaymada Cupcakes
• Carrot Banana Muffins
• Tres Leches Cake
• Easy Chocolate Cake

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Complete Recipe

Ube Cupcakes–moist, fluffy and easy to make

4.73 from 11 votes

Moist, fluffy, and delicious ube-flavored cupcakes! So easy and simple to make than a whole cake. Goes so well with ube buttercream frosting.

ServingsMakes (tap to scale):12 cupcakes

preparation timePrep Time:30 minutes mins

Total cooking timeCooking Time:25 minutes mins

Print

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

Milk

• ▢ ½ cup coconut milk (canned, see note 1)
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh milk, full fat (or 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 ⅔ 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

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Author : Mella

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.

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