September 2, 2021Van
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Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Serves: 12 Cupcakes
If you haven’t heard of ube (pronounced ooh-bey) yet, just search for the hashtag #ube on Instagram and check out all the gorgeous desserts made from this purple yam. It has a lovely nutty flavor, almost like a cross between vanilla & pistachio
These cupcakes are the ultimate treat for any ube fans! They’re made with ube jam so they turn out very fluffy and tender. What could make these delicious, moist cupcakes even better? Top them with the creamiest Ube Buttercream Frosting made with butter, sweetened condensed milk & ube flavoring– this buttercream is so simple to make and not overly sweet like American buttercream, it also pipes like a dream ☁️
You can usually find Ube Flavoring and Ube Jam at Filipino and Vietnamese markets (or click on the links to order). You can also substitute the ube jam with ½ Cup Mashed Ube + ¼ Cup Sugar
Ube Buttercream Frosting made with Butter, Sweetened Condensed Milk + Ube Flavoring. I use the Butterfly brand of Ube Flavoringso it will also add color tothe batter and frosting. You can add a little more flavoring if you prefer adarker purple color. I used an Ateco #846 Closed Star Tip to pipe the buttercream
To make a layered cake, Idoubled this cupcake recipe, used two 7 inch cake pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment. Then baked at 350°F for about 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for about 10 mins, then flip them out onto a rack to cool completely
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September 2, 2021Van
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cook time: 16 minutes
- Serves: 12 Cupcakes
www.foodisafourletterword.com
Ingredients
- 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup Ube Jam / Halaya
- ½ Cup Whole Milk
- ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil
- ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1¼ Teaspoons Ube Flavoring
- 1 Large Eggs
- ¼ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
UBE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter, cubed and room temp ≈70°F
- ¾ Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk, refrigerated overnight
- ¼ Teaspoon Ube Flavoring
Method
- 1)
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. In a bowl, add ½ Cup Ube Jam, ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil, ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar, – stir well with a whisk until the ube jam is completely smooth. Add ½ Cup Whole Milk, 1¼ Teaspoons Ube Flavoring, 1 Large Egg & stir until combined. In a separate bowl, add 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour, ¼ Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt, 1¼ Teaspoons Baking Powder, ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda stir with a whisk to combine, then add it to the batter and mix until incorporated.
- 2)
Fill each cupcake liner about 60% full. Bake at 350°F for 16-17 mins. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake should come out clean. When cool enough to handle, move them on to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before frosting.
- 3)
Make the Ube Buttercream: Place ¾ Cups room temp Unsalted Butter and a pinch of Fine Sea Salt into a mixing bowl. Mix on high speed with the whisk attachment for about 7 minutes, scrape the bowl half way through. It should look fluffy and much lighter in color. Add ¼ Teaspoon Ube Flavoring and mix for another minute.
- 4)
Switch to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the cold ¾ Cups of Sweetened Condensed Milk. Once you’ve added it all, scrape the bowl and mix on high speed for another 7 minutes. It should look fluffy and creamy. If it looks separated, the butter might be too warm, place the mixing bowl into the fridge for 15 minutes and mix again until it’s creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking, you can add ¼-½ cup of powdered sugar if you prefer it sweeter or add a little more Ube Flavoring (frosting will also be more purple). Use the buttercream to frost the cooled cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes should be kept at cool room temp (around 72°F) and they are best enjoyed on the same day you bake them.
↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓
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16 Comments
Diane
March 17, 2022 at 12:41 pm
In your Ube Cupcakes with Ube Buttercream Frosting Recipe, the Ingredients list calls for “1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar” yet Step 1 in Method says to add “1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar”.
Which is it?
Reply
Van
March 18, 2022 at 11:53 pm
Hi Diane, sorry for the mistake. It should be ⅓ Cup Sugar. I’ve corrected it in the recipe, thanks for catching that!
Reply
Dulce Bilog
May 3, 2022 at 6:57 pm
Omg they taste so yummy. Pretty easy to make but my frosting didn’t stand up too well. I don’t know if I didn’t put it up butter or If it’s because I put the whole can of condensed milk. It just seemed too runny. I did add a little more ube flavoring then what was in the recipe but I wanted it more purple. Should I have added some powdered sugar and less condensed milk? HELP
Reply
Van
May 3, 2022 at 8:34 pm
Hi Dulce, if you put the whole can of sweetened condensed milk for the frosting that’s way too much (that’s double the amount the recipe calls for). Next time, please follow the measurements on the recipe and it should turn out fine.
Reply
Dulce Bilog
May 3, 2022 at 10:57 pm
Ok I think I saw the mistake. The buttercream frosting recipe on the actual link says 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter abs this recipe says 3/4 cups. So maybe I didn’t add enough butter. Smh.
Reply
Van
May 5, 2022 at 10:40 am
The measurements on this recipe makes enough frosting for the cupcakes, the proportions are correct. Sounds like you accidentally looked at both recipes and mixed up the measurements.
Reply
Dulce Bilog
May 5, 2022 at 4:49 pm
Ok so go off of this frosting recipe not the other one with just the frosting ingredients? The frosting recipe alone, how many cupcakes do you think that will frost?
Reply
Van
May 5, 2022 at 5:17 pm
The recipe of just the frosting is double the frosting of this cupcake recipe, so it will frost at least 2 dozen cupcakes, possibly more if you don’t use as much frosting as I do.
Reply
Dulce Bilog
May 5, 2022 at 7:20 pm
I’m sorry to be irritating. Ok so I made them again. Followed the frosting recipe. Is it possible to over mix the frosting? It looks gritty. It isn’t but make it has a lot of air in it. It’s not as smooth looking as yours. Once again I’m sorry.
Reply
Van
May 5, 2022 at 7:22 pm
No worries, it’s possible that the butter is too warm. Try putting the frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and try whipping it again.
Reply
Elana
June 2, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Hi there, these cupcakes are so delicious that I have been asked to make three dozen for a fundraiser. Is it safe / okay to triple this recipe? Thank you.
Reply
Van
June 2, 2022 at 3:21 pm
Hi Elana, yes it’s totally fine to triple the recipe – so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed them!
Reply
Mine was super runny .. 3/4c is too much liquid
February 8, 2023 at 1:58 pm
Buttercream way too loose. 3/4c SCM is too much
Reply
Van
February 28, 2023 at 5:52 pm
I’ve made this so many times over the years using this measurement – it’s correct. Was your SCM refrigerated overnight?
Reply
Dulce Bilog
February 10, 2023 at 10:28 am
How long should I bake for if using a cake pan?
Reply
Van
February 28, 2023 at 5:54 pm
It depends on the cake pan size. 350F for 25-40 mins, toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when it’s done
Reply
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