Description
A featherlight chiffon-style cake flavored with real taro and streaked with ube frosting. Soft, pastel, and whispery in texture — perfect when you want something pretty that doesn’t fight you in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 cup cooked taro, mashed and cooled
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided into ¼ cup + ½ cup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Ube whipped frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- ½ cup ube halaya (ube jam)
- 1 cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line the pan’s base with parchment, but leave the sides bare — the batter needs to grip the walls to rise.
- In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks with milk, oil, vanilla and the mashed taro until silky and evenly colored. Add this wet mix to the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour disappears. Don’t overmix.
- In a clean bowl, start the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, then beat in the remaining ½ cup sugar a little at a time. Whip until the whites form stiff, glossy peaks.
- Fold one-third of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen it. Then, in two gentle additions, fold the remaining meringue in until no white streaks remain. Use a cutting-and-lifting motion — you want to keep the air.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tube pan. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to release large air pockets and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Bake 30–35 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- As soon as the cake comes from the oven, invert the pan over a bottle or funnel and let it cool completely while upside down. Bold tip: cooling upside down preserves the cake’s height — don’t skip this.
- While the cake cools, make the frosting. Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla to soft peaks. Fold in the ube halaya and sifted powdered sugar in small amounts until the mixture becomes smooth and slightly marbled.
- Run a thin knife around the pan’s sides and tube to loosen. Remove the cake and, if desired, slice it horizontally into three even layers with a serrated knife.
- Spread the ube whipped frosting between the layers and dollop or pipe the remaining frosting on top. Leave the sides mostly bare for a rustic look, or cover fully if you prefer.
- Chill for about an hour to set the frosting before slicing.
Notes
- Notes & tips
- Use fresh steamed taro and good-quality ube halaya for the best color and authentic flavor.
- Do not grease the pan sides; the batter needs grip to climb and rise.
- Fold gently — overfolding knocks out the air and makes the cake dense.
- Want deeper purple? Stir in a little ube powder dissolved in the milk. Adjust sugar to taste.
- Storage
- Keep the cake refrigerated in an airtight container. It stays fresh up to 3 days. Bring slices to room temperature briefly before serving for the softest crumb. You can freeze individual slices tightly wrapped for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Quick serving ideas
- Top with toasted coconut, chopped macapuno, or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Want sweet-savory? A few grated cheddar shards on the side makes for a classic Filipino contrast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg