If you're a fan of ube desserts, this Ube Cake Roll is one you'll want to make again and again. It starts with a soft and fluffy ube chiffon cake which gets filled with a creamy whipped filling that complements the sweet, nutty flavour of ube perfectly. The beautiful purple swirl makes it look so pretty, but it's actually much easier to make than it looks. Whether you're making it for a celebration, sharing it with family and friends, or simply enjoying a slice with your afternoon coffee, this cake roll is a lovely way to satisfy those ube cravings. 💜

Tip #1

💡Roll the cake while it's still warm
Rolling the cake shortly after baking helps "train" its shape and greatly reduces the chance of cracking later when you add the filling.

Tip #2

💡 Don't overwhip the cream
Stop whisking once stiff peaks form. Overwhipped cream can become grainy and harder to spread evenly across the cake.

Tip #3

💡Chill before slicing
After filling and rolling, refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before slicing. This helps the cream set and gives you cleaner, prettier slices.

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Ube Cake Roll Recipe

Preparation Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 cake roll (8–10 slices)

Ingredients

Ube Chiffon Cake:

175 g cake flour (approx. 1¼ cups + 2 tbsp)
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
100 g white sugar (8 tbsp) – for yolk batter

5 large egg yolks (~90–100 g)
75 ml vegetable oil (5 tbsp)
150 ml milk (⅔ cup)
4 tsp ube flavoring
3-5 drops purple food colouring (optional)

5 large egg whites (~150 g)
½ tsp cream of tartar
75 g white sugar (6 tbsp) - for meringue

Whipped Cream:

400 ml cold heavy cream

4 tbsp icing sugar (adjust to taste)
4 tsp vanilla-flavoured instant pudding mix (e.g. Gregg’s Vanilla Crème)
1/2 tsp ube extract (optional)

Preparation

Ube Chiffon Cake:

Preheat the oven: Fan-forced: 145°C (293°F) or Conventional: 155°C (311°F)
Line a 37 x 26.5 cm baking tray with parchment paper on the bottom.
Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and 100 g sugar. Whisk to combine.
In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, water, ube flavouring, and purple food colouring until well blended.
Gradually whisk the dry mixture into the wet mixture until smooth and lump-free. Do not overmix.
Make the meringue: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, then gradually add 75 g sugar while beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Fold ⅓ of the meringue into the yolk batter to lighten. Then fold in the rest in two additions using a cut-and-fold motion until fully incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the surface, and tap lightly to release air bubbles.
Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until springy and a skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 2–3 minutes. Cover with parchment or a clean tea towel and invert.
Peel off baking paper. Flip again so the smooth side is down. Trim 1 cm from the short end for a clean edge. Gently roll from the short end and let cool fully in this rolled-up shape (about 1 hour).

Whipped Cream:

Place your mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge for 10–15 minutes.
Add cold cream, icing sugar, and pudding mix to the chilled bowl.
Beat until mixture thickens and soft peaks form.
Add ube extract (if using) and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. Chill for 20 minutes to allow the pudding to dissolve and stabilize the cream. (Store in fridge for 1–2 days if prepping ahead.)