Easy Ube Cupcakes

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 🙂

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

More Ube recipes you need to try...

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

Complete Recipe

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

4.8 from 5 votes

author: Mella

Servings 12 cupcakes

tap to scale

Print

Rate this Recipe

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

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 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

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!