This Ube Cheesecake combines the classic creamy texture of cheesecake with the delightful flavors of ube, a purple yam popular in Filipino desserts. The rich, velvety ube filling sits on a buttery graham cracker crust, making for an eye-catching and tasty dessert.
What Makes Ube Cheesecake Special?
The vibrant purple color of the ube adds a striking look and infuses the cheesecake with a subtle earthy, nutty, and vanilla flavor. Ube, a native of Southeast Asia, is a purple yam known for its mild, sweet taste with hints of coconut and pistachio.
Cheesecake Tips
- Full-Fat Ingredients: Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream.
- Room Temperature: Ensure cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature before starting.
- Mix Carefully: Scrape the bowl often to keep the batter smooth, and don’t overmix after adding eggs to prevent cracking.
- Water Bath: Use a water bath to avoid cracks in the cheesecake.
- Cool Gradually: Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour after baking to prevent sudden temperature changes that can cause cracks.
Ube Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 6 ounces
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Batter:
- 4 packages 8 oz each cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup ube halaya jam 10.5 ounces
- 1/2 cup fullfat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon ube extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ube Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat Oven: Heat oven to 325°F.
- Prepare Crumbs: Process graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Mix with sugar.
- Combine and Press: Melt butter and combine with crumbs. Press into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch cheesecake pan. Use a deep 8-inch pan if available.
- Bake: Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool.
Cheesecake Batter
- Grease Pan: Grease the sides of the pan.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until creamy.
- Add Sugar: Beat in the granulated sugar for another 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Mix in Ube: Add ube jam, sour cream, and ube extract. Mix well, scraping the bowl often.
- Add Eggs: Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting for each to be fully mixed in before adding the next. Avoid overmixing to prevent cracking.
- Finish and Pour: Add salt and mix. Pour the batter over the cooled crust.
- Prepare for Water Bath: Wrap the bottom of the pan with foil layers. Place in a larger roasting pan and fill with hot water about halfway up the cheesecake pan.
- Bake: Bake at 325°F for 6075 minutes. The center should jiggle slightly while the edges are set.
- Cool Gradually: Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- Chill: Remove and cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Remove the pan ring only after chilling.
Ube Whipped Cream
- Whip Cream: In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip the heavy cream, ube extract, and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form (about 3 minutes).
- Pipe: Place whipped cream in a piping bag fitted with a tip of your choice (I used tip 1M).
Decorating
- Top Cheesecake: Pipe the Ube Whipped Cream on top of the cheesecake. Optionally, decorate with white crispearls.
Notes
- Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Greasing the Pan: Grease the sides after baking the crust to avoid making the crust soggy and to help it stick.
- Using a Mixer: A hand mixer is preferred to avoid lumps since it scrapes the bowl better than a stand mixer.
- Convection Oven: Use a lower temperature (around 300°F) if using a convection oven. Bake until the center jiggles slightly and the edges are set.
- Crust Alternatives: Substitute digestive biscuits for graham crackers if desired.