Ube recipe · Baking
Easy Ube Cake Recipe with Ube Buttercream
A soft, naturally purple ube sheet cake with coconut milk and fluffy ube buttercream — easy, one pan.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook / chill
- 35 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 12 slices
This easy ube cake recipe bakes in a single 9×13 pan: a soft, moist, naturally purple cake made with coconut milk, topped with a fluffy ube buttercream. No layers to stack, no special skills needed.
What does ube cake taste like?
Ube cake tastes like a rich vanilla cake with coconut and toasted-nut notes. With Kapsoo ube powder, the color is a soft natural violet — Filipino bakeries often add extract for a brighter purple, but this version keeps it real.
Tips for a moist ube cake
Measure the flour by weight, do not overmix once the flour is in, and pull the cake as soon as a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan.
Step 2
Whisk the flour, ube powder, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt.
Step 3
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Step 4
On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk, mixing just until combined.
Step 5
Spread in the pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely.
Step 6
For the buttercream, beat the butter until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, ube powder, vanilla and milk, and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake.
Tips & variations
- Top with toasted coconut or crushed ube crinkle cookies.
- Bake as 24 cupcakes for 18–20 minutes.
- Keeps 3 days covered at room temperature, or 5 days in the fridge.
Easy Ube Cake with Ube Buttercream: FAQ
How do you make an easy ube cake?
Mix a butter cake batter with ube powder and coconut milk, bake it in one 9x13 pan and top with ube buttercream.
Can I make ube cupcakes with this recipe?
Yes. It makes about 24 cupcakes; bake for 18 to 20 minutes at 350°F.
Why is my ube cake not very purple?
Real ube powder gives a soft natural violet. Add 1 to 2 tbsp more ube powder in place of the same amount of flour for a deeper color.
How do you make ube buttercream?
Beat 1 cup butter with 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp ube powder, vanilla and a few tablespoons of milk until fluffy.
