Ube Cupcakes with Ube Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Ube Cupcakes with Ube Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients: 1.75 cups All-Purpose Flour, Spooned and leveled; 1 cup Granulated Sugar; 2 tsp Baking Powder; 0.25 tsp Salt; 0.5 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened; 2 large Eggs, Room temperature; 0.5 cup Whole Milk; 0.33 cup Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam), Store-bought or homemade; 1 tsp Pure Ube Extract, Butterfly brand recommended for vivid color; 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened, for frosting; 0.25 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened, for frosting; 2.5 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted, for frosting

These ube cupcakes bake up impossibly soft with a gentle purple-yam sweetness, then get piled high with a silky cream cheese frosting tinted and flavored with ube extract. They travel well, hold their swirl at room temperature, and taste even better the next day.

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 20 min · Difficulty: Easy · Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1.75 cups All-Purpose Flour, Spooned and leveled
1 cup Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
0.25 tsp Salt
0.5 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 large Eggs, Room temperature
0.5 cup Whole Milk
0.33 cup Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam), Store-bought or homemade
1 tsp Pure Ube Extract, Butterfly brand recommended for vivid color
8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened, for frosting
0.25 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened, for frosting
2.5 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted, for frosting

Instructions

Prep & Preheat Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
Mix Dry Ingredients Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream Butter & Sugar In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add Ube & Combine Mix in the ube halaya and ube extract until evenly colored. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk in three additions, mixing just until combined — do not overmix.
Bake Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool Completely Cool cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Whip the Frosting Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and a small splash of ube extract, beating until light and pipeable.
Frost & Serve Pipe or spread frosting generously onto cooled cupcakes. Chill for 15 minutes to set the swirl before serving.

Pro Tips

Room-temperature eggs and butter blend more evenly and give a taller, more even rise.
For the deepest violet color, use both ube halaya and a few drops of ube extract rather than either alone.
Chill frosted cupcakes for 15 minutes before transporting so the swirls hold their shape.

Variations

Ube Coconut Cupcakes: Fold 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes into the batter and top with a sprinkle more.
Mini Ube Cupcakes: Use a mini muffin tin and reduce bake time to 10-12 minutes for about 24 bite-sized cupcakes.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

265 calories · 34g carbs · 3g protein · 13g fat · 26g sugar · 0.5g fiber

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?

Yes. Bake the unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months. Frost the day you plan to serve them.

Why did my frosting turn out runny?

This usually means the butter or cream cheese was too warm. Chill the frosting for 10-15 minutes and re-whip, or add a bit more sifted powdered sugar to firm it up.

Recommended Ingredient

Wilton 55-Piece Cake Decorating Tip & Piping Bag Set — read our review.