Description
This Taro Ube Cloud Cake is a light and airy chiffon cake infused with fragrant taro and adorned with a luscious ube whipped cream frosting. The unique combination of taro puree in the batter and the marbled ube halaya cream creates a beautiful and delicious Filipino-inspired dessert perfect for special occasions or an elegant treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 1 cup taro puree (steamed and mashed)
- 1¾ cups cake flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup ube halaya (ube jam)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 325 °F (160 °C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch tube pan with parchment paper, but do not grease the sides, allowing the cake to climb during baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and ¼ cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk well to combine.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and taro puree until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
- Form Batter: Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix. Set the batter aside.
- Make Meringue: In a clean and grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar while continuing to beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
- Fold Meringue into Batter: Gently fold one-third of the meringue into the batter to lighten it. Then carefully fold in the remaining meringue until the mixture is uniform, taking care not to deflate the batter.
- Transfer and Smooth Batter: Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and gently tap the pan to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle or funnel to cool completely for about one hour to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Prepare Frosting: While the cake cools, whip the heavy cream with vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Fold in the ube halaya and powdered sugar gently until the mixture is smooth and marbled.
- Unmold and Slice: Run a knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert it to unmold, then slice the cake horizontally into three even layers.
- Assemble and Chill: Spread the ube whipped cream frosting between the layers and over the top, leaving the sides exposed for a rustic look. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to set the frosting.
Notes
- Make sure the egg whites are at room temperature for better volume when whipping meringue.
- Do not grease the sides of the tube pan; this helps the cake climb and stay airy.
- Gently folding the meringue prevents deflating the batter ensuring a light, fluffy cake texture.
- The cake must be cooled upside down to prevent it from collapsing as it cools.
- This cake is best served chilled after frosting has set for at least 1 hour.
- Use fresh taro for best flavor, or substitute with high-quality taro puree if available.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Filipino
Keywords: Taro Cake, Ube Cloud Cake, Filipino Dessert, Chiffon Cake, Ube Halaya Cake, Taro Puree Cake
