Ube Pound Cake

What is ube cake made of

You’ll only need pantry staples to make ube bundt cake. A few notes about some key ingredients:

• Unsalted butter — I’ve found that the key to making simple cakes spectacular is to spring for the best ingredients that budget allows, like butter. You can really tell the difference.

• Baking powder — this is one of those ingredients that can sit in our pantry for months, even years, because we use so little of it in every recipe. Which is why it’s important to check it for freshness before using. What you can do is mix baking powder with some vinegar or hot water. It should sizzle or bubble immediately. If not, it’s time to replace.

• Ube extract — ube extract is what gives this cake its ube flavor and purple color. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a good substitute for it. You can find it in Asian supermarkets or Amazon.

Baking pan options

When I make pound cakes, I use one of these 3 kinds of pans:

1. Tube pan — same one used for angel cakes
2. Loaf pans — either (2) 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pans or (2) 9.5×5.5 inch loaf pans
3. Bundt pan — 10-12 cup capacity

Baking time will differ for each type. So if you’re using a different pan than what’s written in the recipe, you’ll need to watch for signs that the cake is done more carefully.

For this ube marble cake recipe, in my oven, baking time hovers around 60 minutes in loaf pans and closer to 70 minutes in a bundt pan.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy (roughly 5 minutes on medium speed using my KitchenAid stand mixer). Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl.

With the mixer still on, add granulated sugar about a tablespoon at a time and continue mixing until well incorporated.

Then add the eggs one a time, ensuring each addition is well blended. (I lower my speed slightly when adding eggs to avoid egg splatters!) 

Add vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined.

Sift your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) into your mixture in 3 batches and stir on low speed just until combined.

Transfer about ⅓ of your cake batter into another bowl, add ube extract and stir until well blended.

To assemble, place ½ of your vanilla cake batter on the  bottom of your pan, followed by ½ your ube cake batter. Repeat then smoothen the top.  Gently tap the pan on your counter to help the batter settle.

Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully invert the pan on a wire rack, remove the pan (it should slide up easily), and allow the cake to cool completely.

Ube glaze

Making the ube glaze is optional but highly recommended! It’s the same glaze I use for my baked ube donuts and it’s fantastic.

All you’ll need are powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar, ube extract, milk and salt.

Simply combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Add more sugar or more milk a little at a time until you get the right consistency — thicker but still pourable.

Expert baking tips

Easy, right? Here are more tips for a successful cake every time.

• Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients are easier to combine and incorporate and helps you avoid over-mixing the batter.

• Weigh ingredients. Investing in a $10 kitchen scale improved my baking immensely. And I encourage you to invest in one as well and use the weight measurements in this recipe (instead of volume measurements) where provided.

• Do not over-mix. Stop just as soon as the flour mixture is incorporated into the batter. Over-mixing will result to an unnecessarily dense and tough cake.

• Cover with aluminium foil. If you see that your cake is browning (especially on the edges) too soon and your cake is still slightly underbaked in the middle, loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil and continue baking.

How to coat a bundt pan so cake releases easily

There is really no right or wrong way to coat or grease a bundt pan.

Every baker has his or her own 100% guaranteed, no-fail technique. Some use butter with flour, some use oil, others use ready-made cake release sprays.

If a specific way has worked for you, continue doing that.

I use shortening and granulated sugar and it’s worked for me every time.

Step 1: Melt about 2 tablespoons of shortening and coat pan using a pastry brush. Every nook and cranny, especially the middle/tube, which a lot of bakers forget.

Step 2: Sprinkle about a heaping tablespoon of sugar all over pan.

Step 3: Cover the top of the pan with cling wrap or aluminum foil and shake (I do it over the sink so I don’t make a huge mess.) 

Step 4: See bald patches? Add more sugar and shake some more until the whole inside of the pan is covered.

Once the cake is done baking, allow it to cool in the pan placed on a cooling rack. After about 10 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto the rack and lift pan. That’s it!

If coated properly, the pan should slide up easily.

What to do when a cake is stuck

Sometimes, and it happens to the best of the best, cakes just get stuck to the pan. There are a several things we can do to help it along like steaming or freezing. 

Check out this helpful guide.