Bonggang Ube Chiffon Cake for Gifts or Biz
Chef RV Manabat (adapted by JojoM)
Soft ube chiffon layered with ube jam, whipped cream and ube crumbs—affordable Filipino celebration cake for birthdays, potlucks, gifts or small biz.
🎂 Why You’ll Love This Ube Chiffon Cake
This ube chiffon is soft, fluffy and gently fragrant with real ube flavour—no food colouring needed. Layered with creamy whipped cream and ube jam, then finished with vibrant ube crumbs, it’s a crowd-pleasing Filipino celebration cake that’s affordable to make and perfect for gifting or small business.
Whether you're preparing this for a birthday, potluck, or a “bonggang pang-regalo,” this cake stays soft even chilled thanks to the oil-based batter. It slices cleanly, looks festive, and tastes like a bakery-quality ube cake.
🧁 What Makes This Version Special
- Uses McCormick ube flavouring only, no additional purple colouring
- Incorporates ube powder for deeper flavour and natural speckles
- Whipped cream frosting keeps it light and not overly sweet
- Ube crumbs add colour, aroma and a gorgeous textured finish
- Designed for small business batching and cost-friendly production
🥣 How to Make the Ube Chiffon
You’ll prepare the chiffon batter, whip a stable meringue, fold them together, and bake in two pans. Once cooled, the cakes are layered with ube jam and whipped cream, then coated with soft ube crumbs.
Chiffon success tips:
- Use ungreased pans so the cake climbs
- Sift dry ingredients three times
- Whip meringue only to medium-stiff peaks
- Fold gently to keep the batter airy
🍰 Ube Crumbs for the Perfect Finish
Reserve one cake layer or the trimmings, pulse into fine crumbs, and tint with a small splash of McCormick flavouring. No food colour needed. These crumbs cling beautifully to the sides and give the cake its signature purple finish.
🧁 Assembly Tips
- Chill after crumb coat for cleaner frosting
- Keep layers level for a professional look
- Add nuts or coconut chips between layers if you want crunch
- Pipe lightly tinted whipped cream on top for decoration
The cake is even better the next day—flavour deepens and slices cleaner.
💬 What Readers Are Saying
“Bakery-quality crumb! Sifted three times like the recipe said—game changer.” — Iris B.
“No food colouring needed. McCormick lang—perfect colour and taste.” — Nhorasya D.
“Pang-regalo talaga! Everyone loved it.” — Cherry I.
❓ FAQ
Can I make this without ube powder?
Yes—simply omit it and increase the flavouring slightly. The profile will be lighter but still delicious.
How long does it keep?
Up to 3 days refrigerated and covered. The oil-based chiffon keeps the texture soft even when chilled.
Can I bake this in one tall pan?
Yes, but expect a longer bake time. Two pans bake more evenly and are easier to layer.
🥄 Nutrition (Per Slice)
430 calories · 25g fat · 12g saturated fat · 46g carbs · 1g fiber · 30g sugar · 7g protein
Bonggang Ube Chiffon Cake for Gifts or Biz
Chef RV Manabat (adapted by JojoM)Soft ube chiffon layered with ube jam, whipped cream and ube crumbs—affordable Filipino celebration cake for birthdays, potlucks, gifts or small biz.
Chef's Tips
Sift the dry ingredients at least three times for a fine, fluffy crumb.
Use neutral oil that does not solidify in the fridge so the cake stays soft when chilled.
Add McCormick ube flavouring gradually; it should smell pleasantly ube without tasting artificial.
Fold the meringue gently into the batter to avoid deflating the chiffon.
Chill the assembled cake for several hours or overnight before slicing for clean layers and better flavour.
Save one cake layer for crumbs if you want full coverage on the sides.
Tools Used
We use affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ingredients
Ube chiffon cake batter
Meringue
Ube crumbs
Filling and whipped cream
Instructions
Prepare the ube chiffon batter
- 1
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Use two ungreased 8-inch round pans.
- 2
Sift flour, baking powder, salt, ube powder and first sugar three times.
- 3
Add egg yolks, oil, water and flavouring; whisk until smooth and purple.
- 4
Set aside while preparing the meringue.
Whip the meringue
- 1
Whip egg whites on low–medium until foamy.
- 2
Add cream of tartar; continue until soft peaks form.
- 3
Gradually add sugar; whip to glossy medium-stiff peaks.
- 4
Avoid whipping to dry peaks.
Combine batter and bake
- 1
Whisk in one-third of the meringue to lighten batter.
- 2
Fold remaining meringue gently until no streaks remain.
- 3
Divide into pans and bake 35–40 minutes.
- 4
Invert pans to cool completely before releasing cakes.
Make the ube crumbs
- 1
Level cakes; reserve one layer or trimmings.
- 2
Process into crumbs and tint with a little flavouring.
- 3
Spread on a tray to dry slightly.
Prepare whipped cream and filling
- 1
Whip cream and sugar to medium-firm peaks.
- 2
Tint part of the cream lightly with flavouring.
- 3
Prepare ube jam in piping bag.
Layer the cake
- 1
Slice cakes into 3–4 layers.
- 2
Add jam, cream and optional nuts between layers.
- 3
Stack with final layer cut side down.
Frost, crumb-coat and decorate
- 1
Apply thin crumb coat; chill 15–20 minutes.
- 2
Apply final whipped cream layer.
- 3
Press ube crumbs onto sides.
- 4
Pipe ube-tinted cream on top.
- 5
Chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
Comments & Reviews
Cherry I.
11/15/2025
Perfect pang-regalo! Light cake and creamy filling.
Nhorasya D.
11/15/2025
First time making ube cake—success! No food colour needed.
Iris B.
11/15/2025
Loved how soft the chiffon turned out! Bakery-quality crumb. Will bake again.
Save, Plan & Shop Smarter
Create and edit your own recipes, import from most websites, plan your week, and build smart grocery lists.
Import recipes from most websites
Create and edit your own recipes
Plan your week with the Meal Planner
Mark favourites for quick access
Build grocery lists from your meal plan
Tick off pantry items you already have
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 cake)
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
