I Made an Ube Roll Cake From My Kitchen (And Yes, It Was Worth It)

If you're Filipino and living abroad, there comes a point where you stop waiting for someone to make the food you miss — and you just make it yourself. For me, that moment was an ube roll cake.

I'm not a baker. I don't have a stand mixer or a marble countertop or any of the things food bloggers seem to have in their kitchens. But I had ube extract, a whisk, and the kind of craving that doesn't go away until you do something about it.

So I made it. And honestly? It turned out better than I expected.

Why ube?

If you didn't grow up eating ube, it's a purple yam from the Philippines — earthy, subtly sweet, and used in everything from ice cream to cakes to pandesal. It's become trendy in Australia and the West recently, but we've been eating it our whole lives.

There's something about the colour, the flavour, and the smell that just feels like home. Making this cake in my kitchen felt like a small act of connection — like I was keeping something alive that belongs to where I came from.

The recipe

This is a multi-component recipe — it looks long, but each part is simple on its own. I used ube extract (not fresh ube), which you can find at most Asian grocery stores.

Ube chiffon cake

Ingredients:

• 5 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup milk + 3–5 drops of ube extract
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup plain flour

For the meringue:

• 5 egg whites
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 4 drops ube extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with oil, milk, ube extract, sugar, and salt until smooth.
3. Sift in flour and baking powder, and fold until just combined.
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with vinegar until foamy. Gradually add sugar and ube extract, beating on high until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold the meringue into the yolk mixture in three batches — don't overmix.
6. Pour into a lined baking tray and spread evenly.
7. Bake at 150°C for 12–15 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
8. Let it cool. Save any crumbs or offcuts — you'll use them as decoration for the top.

Vanilla buttercream frosting

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups softened butter
• 2–3 cups icing sugar (adjust to taste)
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 3–4 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk (for texture)

Method:

Beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually add icing sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency.

For ube buttercream: Make the same recipe above and add 3 drops of ube extract at the end. Mix until the colour is even.

Ube cream filling

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle thickened cream (heavy cream or whipping cream), fridge cold
• 3¼ tsp cream stabiliser powder
• 5 drops ube extract
• 2 cups soft icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Put cream, cream stabiliser, vanilla, icing sugar, and ube extract in a cold bowl. Beat on high for about 2 minutes until soft peaks form — a little longer if you want stiff peaks. Ready to use. Holds its shape in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ube ganache (for covering the cake)

Ingredients:

• 1 can ube-flavoured condensed milk
• 1 pack all-purpose cream (or milk)
• 3 tbsp powdered milk
• 40g white chocolate (optional)

Method:

Heat the condensed milk and cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add powdered milk and white chocolate, and stir until smooth and thickened. Let it cool slightly before drizzling or spreading over the cake.

How to assemble

1. Lay the cooled chiffon cake flat on a sheet of cling wrap.
2. Spread a generous layer of ube cream filling across the surface.
3. Carefully roll the cake into a log, using the cling wrap to guide you. Don't worry if it cracks a little — that's normal.
4. Wrap it tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
5. Once firm, drizzle the ube ganache over the top.
6. Frost the outside with ube buttercream or vanilla buttercream — or both.
7. Crumble the leftover chiffon offcuts over the top or sides for decoration.
8. Slice, serve, and try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Tips from someone who's made it

Keep your cream cold. The filling whips better when everything is fridge-cold — including the bowl if you can manage it.

Don't overbake the chiffon. 12–15 minutes is enough. Overbaked chiffon cracks when you roll it.

Ube extract goes a long way. Start with fewer drops and add more if you want a stronger colour and flavour.

The crumbs are the best part. Seriously — crumbling the offcuts on top makes it look professional and adds texture.

If you're Filipino and craving something purple — or if you've never tried ube and want to know what the fuss is about — this cake is a good place to start. It's easier than it looks, and it tastes like home.