Ube cupcakes
A soft, purple center, a swirl of creamy frosting on top: ube cupcakes are made for celebrations and big cravings for something sweet.
The little cake that everyone agrees on.
The little party cake
The cupcake is a soft mini-cake crowned with frosting.
The base, colored with ube, gets a purple-tinted cream cheese frosting, both creamy and slightly tangy. The balance between the sweetness of ube and the acidity of the cream cheese makes it an irresistible, spectacular dessert.
The slightly tangy cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of ube perfectly: a duo that's neither too sweet nor bland.
Ube cupcakes, step by step.
A few ingredients, a little patience, and purple takes on dessert.
Ingredients
- 150 g flour
- 1 egg
- 80 g soft butter
- 100 g sugar
- 80 ml milk
- 1 tbsp Kinampay ube powder (approx. 10 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Frosting: 100 g cream cheese, 50 g butter, 80 g icing sugar, 1 tsp ube powder
Equipment
- A cupcake tin and paper cases
- A mixer
- A piping bag
Preparation
- Work the soft butter with the sugar until pale and creamy, add the egg, then the flour, baking powder and ube powder, alternating with the milk.
- Divide among the cases and bake for 18 minutes at 180 °C, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- Whisk the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and ube powder into a smooth frosting, then pipe it onto the cupcakes.
The whole Desserts family
Cheesecakes, cookies, entremets: all the indulgent purple, from one recipe to the next.
Ube cheesecake
The purple cheesecake, wonderfully creamy.
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Ube cookies
Soft in the center, golden at the edges.
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Ube brownies
Fudgy, dense, marbled with purple.
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Ube loaf cake
A soft loaf cake, purple to the core.
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Ube and white chocolate muffins
Indulgent, risen, with white chocolate.
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Ube donuts
Soft, glazed a bright purple.
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Ube financiers
Small, soft, with brown butter.
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Ube madeleines
The golden bump, the purple heart.
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Ube crêpes
Thin, supple, a tender purple.
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Ube tiramisu
The tiramisu reinvented, all in purple.
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Ube panna cotta
Wobbly, creamy, a soft purple.
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Ube crème brûlée
The caramel cracks, the purple cream melts.
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Ube mousse
Airy, light, a cloud-purple.
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Ube macarons
Smooth shells, purple ganache.
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Ube cinnamon rolls
Soft rolls, a purple swirl.
See the recipe →The chef's touch
The frosting is applied to completely cold cupcakes.
Wait until the cupcakes are completely cool before piping, otherwise the frosting melts. Cream cheese and butter at room temperature make a smooth, firm frosting. Don't overwhisk, to keep it from turning runny.
Chill the frosting for 15 minutes before piping: it holds better and pipes prettier swirls.
Mistakes to avoid
Three pitfalls for celebration cupcakes.
Explore the world of ube
Dessert is just one facet: explore the whole purple universe.
Drinks
Lattes, smoothies, ube frappés.
Explore →Capsules
Lattes, cappuccino, affogato… ready in 30 s.
Explore →Desserts
Cheesecakes, cookies, cakes, pancakes.
Explore →Ice creams
Ice creams, nice cream, frozen mochi.
Explore →Breakfasts
Bowls, porridges, overnight oats.
Explore →Filipino recipes
Halaya, ensaymada, leche flan.
Explore →Ube Time Signatures
Our exclusive creations, found nowhere else.
Explore →Fancy these purple cupcakes?
All you're missing is the Kinampay ube powder.
Your questions about this recipe.
How do you make ube cupcakes?
Make a soft batter with ube powder, bake for 18 minutes at 180 °C, let cool, then pipe an ube cream cheese frosting on top.
How do you get the frosting right?
Use cream cheese and butter at room temperature, whisk without excess and chill before piping.
Do ube cupcakes contain caffeine?
No, ube is naturally caffeine-free.
Can they be made ahead?
Yes: bake the bases the day before and frost them the same day.
What can replace cream cheese?
An ube-tinted buttercream frosting, sweeter but just as pretty.