Sour Cream Ube Cake

close up sour cream ube layer cake with cake fork on serving plate.

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Sour Cream Ube Cake is my ube-infused take on smetannik, the beloved Russian layered sour cream cake.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Chill Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Filipino, Russian

Servings:

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Equipment

Ingredients

Ube Cake:

4 large eggs
175 g granulated sugar
300 g sour cream *
15 g baking soda
130 g ube halaya *
½ teaspoon ube extract
200 g sweetened condensed coconut milk *
200 g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Sour Cream Ube Frosting:

226 g block cream cheese (8 oz) softened
75 g ube halaya *
¼ teaspoon ube extract optional, or more as desired
200 g sweetened condensed milk *
200 g sour cream cold
113 g Cool Whip (4 oz) thawed, cold

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350℉. Set rack in center of oven. Grease two 8-inch round pans and line bottom with parchment round. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together eggs and sugar on high speed for 15 minutes. While that is mixing, stir together sour cream and baking soda in another bowl. Set aside.

The sour cream mixture will loosen and rise. Be sure to use a large bowl or at least a 2-cup measuring cup.

The egg sugar mixture should look pale in color and slightly thickened in texture. Add in the sour cream mixture, ube halaya, ube extract, and condensed milk. Mix until well combine. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.

If your ube halaya is thick/chunky or chilled (directly out of the fridge), thin it out in the sour cream mixture before adding to remaining ingredients.

Add flour and salt in three additions. Mixing on slow speed just until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.
Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in center rack for 30-35 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and toothpick inserted in center of cake come out clean.
Cool cakes in pan for 5 minutes. Run mini offset spatula along sides of the cake to loosen. Unmold warm cakes and cool to room temperature on wire rack.

Crumb Topping:

Once the cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level off the cake tops.
Place the scraps on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes. Remove and crumble, then bake again for 3-5 minutes. Repeat once more, baking until the crumbs are dry and crunchy, another 3-5 minutes
Let the crumbs cool completely to room temperature, then store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese and ube halaya in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
Add condensed milk and ube extract. Mix until combined. Add sour cream in two additions, mixing on low speed. Add Cool Whip in two additions, continuing to mix on low speed until frosting is smooth and well combined.

Frosting will be a little loose. It will firm up when chilled.

Assembly:

Slice each cake into two layers. You will end up with four layers of cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or cake plate.
Spread layer of frosting on cake layer. Place second cake layer and add frosting. Repeat until you have stacked all the cake layers.

Remember to remove parchment paper lining bottom of cake!

Crumb coat the stacked cake by spread a thin layer of frosting all over the sides and top of cake. Place in the fridge for about 15-30 minutes to firm up.
Add another coating of frosting all over cake. Garnish entire cake with prepared crumb topping. Return to fridge and chill for at least 1 hour before serving (overnight is best).

Notes

I recommend high quality sour cream with one ingredient such as Daisy, Cabot, or Good Culture.
I used Angelina Sweet Purple Yam (halayang ube) purchased from Weee!
Use either sweetened condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk interchangeably
Cool Whip is sold frozen. Thaw in the fridge for 4 hours before you plan to use it.

Nutrition