Ube Macapuno Cake (Purple Yam Cake)

Photo: Yummommylicious

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup ube (purple yam), cooked and finely grated (you can also used ube jam)

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup corn syrup

7 eggs, separated (egg yolks,slightly beaten)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

6 drops of red food coloring

6 drops of blue food coloring

For Filling:

1 jar (12 oz) macapuno (coconut preserves)

For Butter Icing:

1 cup milk, chilled

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup butter soften

violet food coloring

Preparation

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 325F or 165C. Line bottoms of 3 - 9 inch round pans with parchment paper. Do not grease.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Place grated ube or ube jam in a large bowl. Add milk and vanilla then mix until smooth. Blend in corn syrup, egg yolks and oil. Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth, then set aside.

In a separate large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar then the food coloring (red and blue), continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of the meringue mixture (egg whites) to the flour mixture, then quickly fold in the remaining egg whites mixture until no streaks remain. Pour batter into a round pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cake bounces back when lightly tapped. Invert pans on a wire rack and let cool upside down. When cool, run a knife around the edges to loosen cake from pans. Fill between layers with coconut preserves, then frost top and sides with butter icing.

To Make the Butter Icing:

Combine milk and 3/4 cup sugar. set aside. Cream butter until light and fluffy; gradually add sugar mixture, and continue beating to desired spreading consistency. Add food color, one drop at a time until desired tint is achieved.