Fluffy Ube Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese (It's a chiffon!)
This ube coconut chiffon cake is filled with coconut strips (macapuno) and topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting. The cake is ube and coconut flavored with a super fluffy yet delicately moist crumb. The cream cheese frosting is moderately sweet and tangy from the cream cheese that pairs well with the super sweet macapuno filling.
My ube coconut chiffon is the lightest of all my cakes, yet sturdy enough to stack into tall layer cakes. It’s got a fine and delicate crumb with a moderately moist texture. The cake can be flavored in two ways: either plain ube or enhanced with coconut oil and coconut water for a secondary coconut flavor. Both variations of this cake yield a vibrant purple color from ube extract.
If you choose the ube coconut variation, there is a slight decrease in the final height of the cake, and the crumb is a bit denser. It’s still a fluffy cake, but I think the coconut fat, primarily saturated and solid at room temperature, affects the crumb structure a bit.
If you prefer the lightest and fluffiest cake possible (or like my vanilla chiffon cake), you can substitute the coconut oil for canola or vegetable oil and the coconut water for regular water. I’ll annotate this in the recipe for you below. I find that ube extract already has a coconut flavor undertone so that in and of itself may be enough coconut flavor for your cake.
The frosting for this cake is a whipped cream cheese frosting; it tastes like a less dense cheesecake covering your cake. Compared to a traditional whipped cream (Chantilly cream), it’s slightly less aerated and feels a touch thicker. It has a subtle sweetness (that you can increase a little) and a super tangy and prominent cream cheese flavor, so be sure you like cream cheese for this frosting. If you prefer a lighter frosting without the tanginess, I have several other whipped cream frostings that you can choose for this cake.
For the filling, I used jarred macapuno. These are from a variety of coconut that produces super sweet, intensely flavored coconut meat. It is optional for this cake, but absolutely delicious.
What ingredients are needed to make this Ube Coconut Chiffon Cake?
Coconut water provides moisture and a bit of coconut flavor for this cake. The primary flavor for coconut is really the unrefined coconut oil, so you can sub water for coconut water with very little difference in coconut flavor. If you use coconut water, make sure it’s pure coconut water with no other additives (gums, etc.)
Unrefined coconut oil is the main source of coconut flavor for the coconut version of this cake. In the United States, we have two types: unrefined or refined coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is process to remove the flavor and odor of coconut whereas unrefined has a strong coconut flavor - that is the one you want to buy for this cake.
Egg yolks are separated from their whites and used to make the liquid portion of this cake. The yolks provide fat, protein, moisture, and emulsifiers.
Ube extract is the source of ube flavor in this cake. I attempted to use ube halaya (ube jam) or powdered ube, but my chiffons are pretty finicky. Ube starches seemed to inhibit the rise of my chiffon, causing a super dense cake. I’ve used two brands successfully in this cake: Ube Extract from Butterfly (which I buy from Amazon, here) and Ube Extract from Uniflavor (which I can only find in Seafood Market stores in California.)
Cake flour is the primary starch and is more finely milled with a lower protein content than all-purpose flour. You can use either bleached or unbleached, but I typically use King Arthur’s Unbleached Cake Flour in all my recipes. I just like the taste.
Cornstarch (or corn flour) is another starch for this cake. It does not contain gluten and so provides structure without chewiness.
White granulated sugar provides sweetness and moisture for this cake. It’s used in two parts during the batter process. The larger amount is mixed into the dry ingredients (flour, etc.), and the smaller amount is used during the meringue process to help stabilize it a bit.
Baking powder is the leavening ingredient. It contains both an acid and base in powder form that when exposed to water and heat produces carbon dioxide gas (and a bit of salt). This allows the cake to rise.
Kosher salt enhances the flavor of the cake.
Egg whites are separated from the egg yolks and whipped up with cream of tartar and sugar to produce a meringue. The egg white proteins trap air, which is then expanded with carbon dioxide produced from the baking powder. The proteins also provide a protein scaffolding inside the cake, giving it structure once its baked.
Cream of tartar is a white powder scraped from the inside of wine barrels that contains tartaric acid. When whipping up egg whites, the acid helps unfold the proteins more readily to elongate and trap air bubbles more efficiently. This produces a loftier meringue. If you don’t have the cream of tartar, sub double the volume of either vinegar (containing acetic acid) or lemon juice (citric acid).
What ingredients are needed to make the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting?
Cream Cheese is the star of this frosting. You can use either block or tub form since the moisture content is usually only a difference of a couple of percent. What’s more important is that you buy a cream cheese that contains stabilizers, which helps give the final frosting the structure required for piping and frosting onto cakes. The gums are labeled on the ingredient list as xanthan gum, locust bean gum, carob bean gum, or guar gum.
Heavy Cream is needed to lighten the frosting a bit. Ensure you get the highest fat content heavy cream, sometimes labeled “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream.” You need a fat content exceeding 35% for the cream to whip up correctly.
Powdered Sugar is the sweetener for this frosting.
What is macapuno?
Macapuno as a cake filling was suggested by many bakers on Instagram when I was talking about how I would release an ube chiffon cake video. It is coconut meat derived from coconuts that have a genetic defect. Regular coconuts are typically hollow, but this particular defect causes the coconut to fill with jelly-like centers, rendering them infertile. The meat, however, has a fantastic soft-chewy texture and contains a higher sugar content than regular coconuts. It’s also intensely coconut flavored. It's amazing.
It’s sold in jars in the US at Asian markets, and I found mine at a local Filipino grocery.
You can use this exact 7-inch cake recipe or create your own recipe using my Cakeculator:
The ube coconut cake recipe below gives instructions for a 7-inch 3-layer cake with 4 ½ cups of whipped cream cheese frosting.
You can create your combination of flavors using my Cakeculator. You can go here and select “Ube Coconut chiffon” for the cae flavor, and any pan size (cakes or cupcakes or whatever) and then choose the frosting of your choice.
Step by step:
Video
Here's a video on how to make and bake the ube batter, as well as assembly of this cake:
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Ube Coconut Chiffon Cake with Macapuno and Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
For the Ube Chiffon Cake Layers:
- 180g (3/4 cups) coconut water*
- 126g (9 tablespoons) unrefined coconut oil, melted and liquid**
- 90g (4 1/2 large) egg yolks
- 1 3/4 teaspoons ube extract (check my intro above for the brands I've used)
- 202g (1 3/4 cups) cake flour
- 63g (1/2 cup) cornstarch***
- 225g (1 1/8 cup) white granulated sugar (for flour)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/8 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher)
- 135g (4 1/2 large) egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar****
- 56g (4 1/2 tablespoons) white granulated sugar (for meringue)
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 452g (2 cups) full-fat cream cheese, cold******
- 480g (2 cups) heavy cream, chilled from the fridge
- 240g (2 cups) powdered sugar, unsifted is fine
- 10g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
Optional Filling: half a jar of macapuno (coconut strips)
For the Ube Chiffon Cake Layers:
- 180g (3/4 cups) coconut water*
- 126g (9 tablespoons) unrefined coconut oil, melted and liquid**
- 90g (4 1/2 large) egg yolks
- 1 3/4 teaspoons ube extract (check my intro above for the brands I've used)
- 202g (1 3/4 cups) cake flour
- 63g (1/2 cup) cornstarch***
- 225g (1 1/8 cup) white granulated sugar (for flour)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/8 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal Kosher)
- 135g (4 1/2 large) egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar****
- 56g (4 1/2 tablespoons) white granulated sugar (for meringue)
For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 452g (2 cups) full-fat cream cheese, cold******
- 480g (2 cups) heavy cream, chilled from the fridge
- 240g (2 cups) powdered sugar, unsifted is fine
- 10g (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
Optional Filling: half a jar of macapuno (coconut strips)
Make the Cake
- Move your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Line the bottom of three 7" (not non-stick) cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don't add anything (oil or flour or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake needs to stick a little to sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn't deflate.
- In a measuring cup, mix together room-temperature coconut water (see ingredient footnotes), coconut oil, egg yolks, and ube extract with a fork. Mix until you see no oil separation - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids and will look purple. Set that aside for now.
- In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, cornstarch, white granulated sugar (labeled "for flour"), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds.
Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the coconut-water mixture from the previous step while whisking simultaneously. You'll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring as you whisk. (This is to prevent lumps.) Once you've poured in all the liquids, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now. - To another clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled "for meringue") into a small bowl so it's easy to add to the egg whites while mixing. With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium high speed until it's thick and foamy. It will look like men's shaving cream (you know the kind they make at a fancy barber shop with a whisk?) Pour in about a couple teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour another couple of teaspoons. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more.
Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down. It shouldn't be runny or drooping off the whisk. - Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this lightens the batter a tad.
Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I can describe it.) Once all the batter contains no more streaks of meringue, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. Use the purple color as an indicator to know when you're finished; as you fold in the last bits of meringue, it should be a solid, beautiful purple color with no streaks of white left. - Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 23-28 mins. (Start checking at 20 mins.)
- Move the pan to a wire rack and let them sit for about 3-5 minutes. Take the wire rack and place over the cake pan and flip the cake pan over. (It may be a little taller than the pan if your pan is only 2 inches tall. It's ok, just put the wire rack on top.) And don't worry, it won't fall out. Because we didn't treat the sides of the pan with any fat or paper, the cake will stay inside the pan until you use a knife to loosen the cake from the pan.
- Loosen the edges of the cake using an offset spatula or butter knife, and flip the cake out onto a cooling rack so you can peel off the parchment bottom. Make sure it is completely cool before assembling and/or frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Smooth out the cream cheese. Add the cold cream cheese to a large bowl. Smooth it out on low speed with a hand mixer, or smash it with a spatula until all the lumps are gone.
- Whip heavy cream. To another bowl, add the chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer, mix on medium-high speed until you reach stiff peaks.
- Loosen up the cream cheese. Grab the large bowl of cream cheese. We will fold the whipped cream in, but first, we must thin it out. Take a scoop of whipped cream and stir it into the cream cheese. This is also an excellent time to ensure all the lumps are gone in the cream cheese.
- Fold whipped cream into cream cheese. Now, we will fold the rest of the whipped cream in. Add another scoop of the whipped cream to the cream cheese, and pull the cream cheese over the whipped cream with a cutting and swooping motion. (Watch the video above to understand how to do this.) The folding will get easier the more whipped cream you add. Take your time, it usually takes me a few minutes to get through all the cream, but this will preserve the lighter texture.
To assemble the cake, it’s best to watch my video linked above.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*Make sure to use coconut water that has only coconut water as the ingredient (and no stabilizers, such as xanthan gum, etc.) If you wish to make the plain ube version of this cake, use the same amount of room temperature water instead of coconut water.
**In the US, we have two types of coconut oil: unrefined and refined. Refined goes through extra processing that, amongst other things, removes the taste and aroma of coconuts, so I prefer using unrefined for a beautiful coconut flavor. Also, coconut oil solidifies at cool room temperatures, so melt it in the microwave to liquify it, so it mixes into the batter properly.
If you want to make the plain ube version of this cake, use a flavorless oil (such as canola or vegatable) in place of coconut oil.
***You can use either cornstarch or potato starch.
****Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that allows us to whip up the egg whites a little fluffier. You can sub twice the amount of lemon juice or vinegar if you don't have access to the cream of tartar.
******It doesn’t matter if you use block or tub-style cream cheese as the fat content between those two is usually a couple of percent and unimportant. It’s more important that your cream cheese contains some sort of hydrocolloid, so read the ingredient label and ensure it contains at least one of these: xanthan gum, locust bean gum, carob bean gum, or guar gum. Also, make sure you purchase full-fat cream cheese.
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