How to make ube cheesecake: Purple cheesecake with ube powder
- Ube Nederland
- Jul 10
- 7 min read
Ube cheesecake is one of those desserts that immediately catches the eye. Not because it's particularly complicated, but simply because it looks different from what you're used to. A creamy cheesecake is certainly popular, but as soon as you add the delicate purple color and slightly sweet taste of ube powder , the dessert instantly takes on a modern and striking appearance.
The combination works surprisingly well. Cheesecake is creamy, fresh, and full of flavor. Ube is soft, slightly sweet, nutty, and has a subtle vanilla note. Together, they create a dessert that tastes rich but isn't too heavy. That's precisely why you'll find ube more and more often in cafés, bakeries, dessert bars, and Asian restaurants.
Ube was once primarily known for Filipino desserts, but it's now increasingly found in modern recipes like Ube Latte , Ube Pancakes , Ube Milk Tea , Ube Cold Foam , and of course, Ube Cheesecake. Thanks to its striking purple color, it's also a perfect dessert for social media, brunch concepts, and restaurants looking to add something special to their menu.
In this blog, we'll show you how to easily make your own Ube cheesecake using Ube powder.
What is Ube cheesecake?
Ube cheesecake is a cheesecake to which ube is added. This can be done with ube powder, ube extract, ube halaya, or homemade ube paste . For a practical and easy-to-prepare version , ube powder is a good choice, as it is easy to portion and incorporate into the cheesecake batter.
Ube is a purple yam with a soft, creamy, and slightly sweet flavor. Its aroma is often described as nutty, subtly vanilla-like, and somewhat dessert-like. Therefore, ube pairs wonderfully with cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, coconut, and cookie crusts.
Do you want to know exactly what the difference is between Taro and Ube ? Then it's good to know that these two are often confused with each other, even though they are not the same.
An Ube cheesecake typically has a purple to lavender-colored filling.
Depending on the amount of ube powder used, the color can vary from a delicate light purple to a more intense violet. The taste is generally mild and pleasant, making the dessert suitable even for people who have never tried ube before.
Why Ube goes so well in cheesecake
Cheesecake is one of the best desserts that pairs well with ube. Cheesecake is naturally creamy and slightly tangy from the fresh cheese. Ube adds softness, color, and a subtle sweetness.
The fresh taste of the cream cheese prevents the dessert from becoming too sweet, while the ube provides a well-rounded and mild flavor. This creates a wonderful balance between creamy, fresh, and slightly sweet.
Ube is also a visual success. A conventional cheesecake often appears rather unassuming, while an ube cheesecake immediately catches the eye. The purple color makes the dessert distinctive and special, without any elaborate decoration.
This is interesting for cafes, bakeries, and dessert bars. Ube cheesecake seems new and trendy, yet remains a familiar dessert classic. So you don't have to convince people of cheesecake itself, but simply pique their curiosity about the ube version.
Ingredients for Ube Cheesecake
To make a small Ube cheesecake you will need:
For the floor:
200 grams of digestive biscuits or Bastogne biscuits
80 grams of melted butter
1 tablespoon of sugar, optional
For the filling:
500 grams of cream cheese
150 grams of sugar
2 eggs
150 ml whipping cream or sour cream
2 to 3 tablespoons of ube powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
For an extra creamy taste, you can replace some of the whipped cream with coconut cream. Coconut harmonizes perfectly with ube and gives the cheesecake a slightly tropical touch.
How do you make Ube cheesecake?
Start with the base. Crush the cookies in a food processor or place them in a freezer bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. Mix the crumbs with melted butter and, if desired, a little sugar. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a springform pan.
Place the crust in the refrigerator for a while while you prepare the filling. This will make the crust firmer and help the cheesecake hold its shape better.
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and briefly stir until smooth. Then add the sugar and stir again. Next, stir in the eggs one at a time. Do not overmix, as too much air in the batter can cause the cheesecake to crack during baking.
In a separate small bowl, mix the ube powder with a little cream or warm water to form a smooth paste. This prevents lumps and ensures the purple color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Add the ube mixture, the remaining cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the cream cheese filling. Gently mix everything until the dough is evenly purple.
Pour the filling onto the cookie base and smooth it out. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated oven at 150 to 160 degrees Celsius for about 45 to 60 minutes. It's done when the edges are firm, but the center still jiggles slightly.
Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly. Then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. This will make it firm, creamy, and easy to slice.
Tips for the best Ube cheesecake
Use cream cheese at room temperature. Cold cream cheese doesn't mix as well and can cause lumps in the filling.
First, the ube powder is processed into a smooth paste before being added to the dough. This prevents the powder from remaining dry or being unevenly distributed.
Bake the cheesecake at a low temperature. Cheesecake doesn't need to be baked at a high temperature. A lower temperature ensures a creamy consistency and reduces the risk of cracking.
Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly. Do not place it directly from the oven into the refrigerator; instead, let it come to room temperature first. It can then firm up further in the refrigerator.
Do you want a more intense purple color? Then add a little more ube powder . Be careful, as too much powder can make the consistency a bit thicker.
Toppings for Ube cheesecake
Ube cheesecake is a treat in itself, but with the right toppings you can make the dessert even better.
Good toppings for ube cheesecake include:
cream
coconut cream
White chocolate
Fresh blueberries
Strawberries
Roasted coconut
Ube drizzle
crumbled cookie
Vanilla ice cream
For a simple and elegant version, you can garnish the cheesecake with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes. If you'd like to make it a bit more luxurious, you can use white chocolate or an ube sauce.
For restaurants, it's advisable not to overload the topping. The purple color of the cheesecake is already intense enough. A subtle topping often creates a high-quality appearance.
Ube cheesecake for cafes and restaurants
Ube cheesecake is perfect for cafes, bakeries, dessert bars, and brunch offerings. Cheesecake is a well-known dessert, but the addition of ube gives it a special and modern twist.
This is interesting for restaurants, as it allows them to significantly enhance an existing product with just one ingredient. Instead of a conventional cheesecake, for example, they could offer an ube cheesecake as a limited-edition special, a seasonal dessert, or as a regular menu item.
Furthermore, ube cheesecake pairs perfectly with other ube products. How about an ube latte , ube milk tea , or an iced coffee with matcha and ube foam ? This way, you can create a complete ube menu with drinks and desserts.
Since ube is still relatively new in the Netherlands, it can also help to spark customer curiosity. Many people are familiar with cheesecake, but have never tried ube. Therefore, ube cheesecake is a simple way to introduce people to the taste of ube.
Would you like to know how you can implement UBE more broadly in the hospitality industry? Then also take a look at UBE for the hospitality industry .
Variations of Ube Cheesecake
Ube cheesecake can be prepared in various ways. A classic baked cheesecake results in a rich, firm, and creamy texture. However, there is also a no-bake version. This is often lighter, quicker to prepare, and ideal for cafes that prefer not to use an oven.
For a no-bake version, use cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, ube powder , and optionally gelatin or white chocolate to firm up the cheesecake. This version only needs to set in the refrigerator.
Mini ube cheesecakes can also be prepared in small glasses or baking dishes. This is practical for catering services, dessert bars, or cafes that want to offer small portions.
Another option is an ube cheesecake swirl. For this, you prepare a normal cheesecake filling and mix in some ube to achieve a beautiful purple and white marbled effect.
Why Ube is interesting for desserts
Ube is particularly well-suited for desserts because it combines flavor and color. Many ingredients provide either flavor or color, but ube offers both. It provides a mild, distinctive taste while simultaneously producing a striking purple hue.
Therefore, ube is well suited for many different confectionery applications:
Ube is interesting for restaurants because it can be easily integrated into existing recipes. There's no need to develop a completely new menu right away. You can start with a ube dessert or drink and see how customers react.
Diploma
Ube cheesecake is a creamy, sophisticated, and modern dessert that perfectly complements the growing popularity of ube. The mild, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor of ube pairs beautifully with cream cheese, vanilla, coconut, and white chocolate.
The result is a cheesecake that feels familiar enough to sell well, yet is unique enough to stand out. For cafes, bakeries, dessert bars, and restaurants, Ube cheesecake is therefore a clever way to offer something new without making it too complicated.
Would you like to bake your own ube cheesecake or offer ube desserts in your café, restaurant, or bakery? Then use high-quality ube powder as a base. With it, you can prepare not only ube cheesecake, but also ube lattes, ube cold foam, ube pancakes, ube cakes, and other purple creations.
Try our Ube powder and discover how easy it is to prepare Ube cheesecake and other Ube recipes for your menu.
Quick recipe: Ube cheesecake
Basic ingredients:
200 grams of digestive biscuits or Bastogne biscuits
80 grams of melted butter
1 tablespoon of sugar, optional
Filling ingredients:
500 grams of cream cheese
150 grams of sugar
2 eggs
150 ml whipping cream or sour cream
2 to 3 tablespoons of ube powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
Preparation:
Crumble the cookies and mix with melted butter.
Press the mixture firmly into a springform pan.
Stir together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Mix the ube powder with a little whipped cream or warm water to form a smooth paste.
Add the ube mixture, whipped cream, vanilla and salt to the filling.
Pour the filling onto the floor.
Bake at 150 to 160 degrees Celsius for 45 to 60 minutes.
Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Serve with whipped cream, coconut flakes or white chocolate.
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