Purple Yam-Inspired Ube Custard Cake with Soft Ube Sponge
Recipe Guy
Filipino bakery dessert | Purple yam sponge | Leche flan-style custard
Caramel, custard, and ube sponge share a pan in this layered cake, then reverse places when it is unmolded. The purple sponge becomes the base, supporting a chilled custard cap and the caramel that runs over the edges.
Why make it: This draft keeps the public ube-custard-cake idea practical: caramel in the pan, custard poured first, and airy ube sponge spooned gently over the top.
About This Recipe
The sponge gets ube from both halaya and extract, with separated eggs supplying its lightness. Whipped whites are folded into the flour-and-yolk mixture in stages, then the batter is spooned gently over the liquid custard so the two layers remain distinct.
This is a custard dessert as much as a cake. It bakes in a water bath and needs a long chill before inversion. Use a solid pan rather than a springform, and confirm its capacity before beginning; the custard and airy sponge require substantial depth together.
Cooking Notes
- Loosen the halaya thoroughly with a spoon before adding it to the yolk mixture. Stubborn lumps are harder to break up once the whipped whites have been folded in.
- Distribute small spoonfuls of sponge batter across the custard's surface instead of dropping everything into the center. Smooth lightly without pressing the airy batter down into the custard.
Ingredient Notes
For the custard
A mix of egg yolks, whole eggs, evaporated milk, and condensed milk gives a sliceable custard that is rich without being rubbery.
For the pan
Use a solid 10-inch round metal pan at least 3 inches deep, with at least 15 US cups brimful capacity, for this full custard-and-sponge batch. Check its capacity with water before starting, then dry it. An 8-inch shallow pan or a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan does not provide equivalent room. Do not use a springform.
Ube Custard Cake with Soft Ube Sponge Recipe
This draft keeps the public ube-custard-cake idea practical: caramel in the pan, custard poured first, and airy ube sponge spooned gently over the top.
Yield: 12 portions. Serving size: 1 slice (one-twelfth of the cake). Nutrition uses this portion count; dividing the batch differently changes the values per serving.
Shopping List
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- sweetened condensed milk
- evaporated milk
- ube halaya
- ube extract
- cake flour
- baking powder
- whole milk
- neutral oil
- vanilla extract
- cream of tartar
Ingredients
Caramel
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Custard Layer
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1 can (12 fl oz / 354 ml) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 ounces / 397 g net weight) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Soft Ube Sponge
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/3 cup ube halaya, loosened with a spoon
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325 F. Set out the capacity-checked 10-inch round, 3-inch-deep solid cake pan and a roasting pan large enough to leave space around it. Heat a kettle of water for the bath.
- Cook sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until amber.
- Using dry oven mitts, carefully pour caramel into the prepared 10-inch round cake pan and tilt to coat the bottom; hot caramel can cause severe burns.
- Whisk egg yolks, whole eggs, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Strain into the caramel-lined pan.
- Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar, milk, oil, ube halaya, ube extract, and vanilla until mostly smooth.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the ube yolk mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
- Whip egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining sugar and whip to glossy medium-stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped whites into the ube batter in three additions.
- Gently spoon the sponge over the custard and smooth without pressing down. Keep the combined layers no higher than 2 inches in the 3-inch-deep pan, leaving at least 1 inch for expansion. Do not compress the sponge to force it into an undersized pan.
- Set the filled cake pan inside the roasting pan on the oven rack. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the cake pan, without splashing the batter.
- Bake about 55 to 80 minutes, checking from 55 minutes. The sponge should spring back and a skewer through its center should show no wet cake batter. Separately insert a thin-tip thermometer through the sponge near the center, with the sensing tip in the lower custard layer, not touching the pan: aim for 170 to 175 F. The custard may tremble gently but should not slosh beneath the cake. Continue until both layers meet their checks; tent the top loosely with foil if it browns early.
- Remove the cake pan from the water bath and cool on a rack for about 1 hour. Refrigerate within 2 hours of leaving the oven, then cover and chill at least 6 hours or overnight before unmolding.
- Run a thin knife around the edge, dip the bottom briefly in warm water, invert onto a rimmed plate, and let the caramel flow.
Nutrition Estimate
Approximate nutrition for 1 slice (one-twelfth of the cake). For twelve equal slices, including all caramel and 137 g cake flour. Halaya uses this site's formula and estimated four-cup yield; purchased halaya and slice size change values. Calculated from published food data, not laboratory tested; brands and portions vary.
Tips For The Best Ube Custard Cake with Soft Ube Sponge
- Strain the custard: This removes egg bits and keeps the top smooth after unmolding.
- Use gentle caramel heat: Take caramel to amber, not dark brown, because it continues cooking in the hot pan.
- Spoon the sponge: Spooning keeps the custard layer from breaking.
- Chill fully: The custard needs a long chill to unmold neatly and slice without slumping.
How To Serve And Store
Serve chilled with coffee or tea. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. Do not freeze the finished cake because custard can weep after thawing.
Common Questions
Can I use all ube extract instead of ube halaya?
No direct substitution is given. The measured halaya contributes bulk, moisture, and sugar; extract supplies concentrated aroma and color. Keep both as listed for this sponge.
Why did the custard layer have bubbles?
The custard may have been whisked too aggressively or skipped the strainer.
Can I make this a day ahead?
Yes. This cake is better after an overnight chill.
Can I bake it in a loaf pan?
Not as a direct substitution. The full batch needs the specified 10-inch round, 3-inch-deep pan with at least 15-cup capacity and one inch of headroom above the unbaked layers. A single 9-by-5-inch loaf pan is too small; a divided loaf version would need a separately checked formula and baking schedule.
Can I leave out the halaya and use more ube extract?
The two ingredients have different jobs here. Extract contributes concentrated flavor and color, while halaya is a measured part of the batter's bulk and moisture; extra extract is not an equivalent replacement.
Why does the ube custard cake need a rimmed serving plate?
The caramel becomes a flowing sauce when the chilled cake is inverted. A rim keeps it with the dessert rather than on the counter, and gives you room to spoon sauce over slices.
Do you like ube custard cake with more custard, more sponge, or equal layers? Share your family version or testing notes in the comments.
Recipe inspiration and product-research boundary: this original Filipino-American Cooking recipe was developed from public Purple Yam Homemade Cakes and Pastries menu and product descriptions for ube cakes, messy cups, custard cakes, brazo cups, and choco moist cakes. It is not an official or proprietary Purple Yam formula.
Technique and food-safety references: annshomecuisine.com; thermoworks.com; verybestbaking.com.
