INGREDIENTS

For Ube Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour (If you dont have cake flour you can use normal flour but in 1 cup of flour you discard 2 tbsp of flour and replace it with 2 tbsp of cornstarch)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup ube (purple yam), cooked and finely grated
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup white sugar
red food colouring
blue food colouring

For Whipped Cream Filling

300ml cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

Others

2 jars macapuno (young coconut sport)
candied cherries

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set this aside.
2. In a large bowl place grated ube, milk, maple syrup, egg yolks, oil and vanilla, mix well.
3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the ube mixture until it forms a smooth batter.
4. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar until it forms stiff peaks. Gradually add sugar while mixing; also add the food colouring by alternating red and blue to achieve a deep purple colour.
5. Fold half of the egg white mixture into the batter then once evenly mixed add the remaining egg white mixture.
6. Grease four 9 in pans then pour in the batter divided equally, bake in a 165C preheated for 30-35 minutes (you can use a toothpick to pierce the middle part to test if it’s fully cooked when it comes out dry)
7. Remove pans from oven then let it cool for at least 2 hours.
8. Remove from the pan then set aside.
9. Get 1 cake then crumble it using a food processor or by hand, set this aside.
10. Prepare 2 large aluminium bowls, place a dozen ice cubes in the first bowl then stack the other aluminium bowl on top. Add the cream on the top bowl and whip the cream until slightly thick, add vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Do not over-beat, otherwise it will become lumpy. Set aside
11. Place 1 cake on cake stand then spread cream on top; add half of the first macapuno jar contents.
12. Layer 1 cake on top then spread cream on top then, add the remaining contents of the first macapuno jar.
13. Layer the remaining cake on top then spread the remaining cream on the sides of the cake. Press crumbled ube cake on the sides and letting it cling on the cream.
14. Pour the second jar of macapuno on top of the cake then decorate with candied cherries. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.