Ube Halaya Filo Cake

Daniel
Apr 30, 2022
3 min read

Updated: May 22

Ube has to be Filipino national veg. It is a breed between a yam and a sweet potato; it has that earthy fragrance and a sweet and slimy texture. In short, ube is perfect to make desserts. The 2 only things that my ex-wife gave me are my 2 kids and an introduction to Filipino cuisine. I learned to adore this veg.

Ube from Philippines...

Beautiful isn't it?

My ex-wife would make some ube pie (if she is in the mood) and I would literally devour everything. And you would have guessed it. I stole this recipe from her, well not literally, but technically. Lol! I added a few of my elements and replace the pie dough with filo pastry.

I know ube can be really hard to get outside of Philippines. If you can, get those frozen grated ones, it will save you lots of time and effort. Be sure to read the label properly. This is because some corporations sell you expensive purple sweet potatoes. Be warned.

I know crafting this cake takes quite some time and effort, but it is 100% worth it. You can prepare the ube halaya and the filo pastry the day before. In closing, I hope you will give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

(Serve 2)

Ube Halaya:
Ube Peeled Washed Coarsely Chopped, 1 About 1kg
Coconut Milk, 200g
Coconut Rum, 2 TBSP
Gula Melaka, 25g Adjust To Preference
Maple Syrup, 25g Adjust To Preference
Sea Salt, Pinch
Filo:
Butter, 100g For Brushing
Demerara Sugar, 38g
Chinese 5 Spice Homemade, 1 TSP
Frozen Filo Pastry Thawed, 8 Sheets
Cake:
Eggs, 2
Evaporated Milk Full Cream, 255g
Maple Syrup, 55g Adjust To Preference
Ube Extract, 1 TSP
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 18g
Ube Powder, 10g
Sea Salt, 1 TSP
Demerara Sugar, 75g Adjust To Preference
Chinese 5 Spice Homemade, 1 TSP
Spiced Rum, 2 TBSP
Latik Homemade, For Garnishing

Equipment:

Blender
Steamer
Oven
Cast Iron Skillet / Pan
Ricer / Potato Masher
8" Round Spring Form Cake Pan

Directions:

Please visit my "How To Make Chinese 5 Spice" page for the recipe.
Please visit my "How To Make Latik" page for the recipe.
Prepare the Ube Halaya
Steam ube until fork tender (20–30 mins).
Pass half through a ricer into a skillet.
Blend the other half with coconut milk until smooth.
Add blended ube to the skillet.
Cook over medium heat until thickened.
Add coconut rum; cook until alcohol evaporates.
Stir in gula melaka, maple syrup, and salt.
Cook until paste forms with brownish-purple color. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the Filo Base
Preheat oven to 205°C / 400°F.
Brown the butter in a skillet, strain, and set aside.
Lightly grease cake pan with browned butter.
Mix sugar and Chinese 5 spice in a bowl.
Brush each filo sheet with browned butter, sprinkle sugar mix, fold in half.
Layer into the cake pan, overlapping and scrunching to fit.
Bake for 15–18 mins or until golden brown. Set aside.
Prepare the Ube Custard
Preheat oven to 205°C / 400°F.
In a large bowl, add 615g of ube halaya.
Fold in eggs, then evaporated milk and maple syrup.
Fold in ube extract, flour, and ube powder.
Add sugar, Chinese 5 spice, and spiced rum. Mix until smooth.
Strain batter into the baked filo shell.
Bake and Finish
Bake at 205°C / 400°F for 20 mins.
Lower to 175°C / 350°F and bake another 40–50 mins until custard is set but jiggly.
Cool completely.
Garnish with latik.
Unmold, slice, and serve.