The ‘prima donna’ root crops
LAST week there was camote, but this week we have the prima donna of Philippine root crops. This prima donna is clothed in purple, the royalty of the Philippine root crops. No one can deny this crop is the all-time fave of the Filipinos. The root crop we speak of is the ube. No doubt about it, it is the most prized root crop of the Filipino, the ube holds the topmost position in the hierarchy of root crops. Most of the time we cook ube with camote, gabi, togue and camoteng kahoy for our ginataan.
For all its allure, the Discorea alata (ube’s scientific name) is very easily grown, but the advent of its popularity as a jam and a cake and pastry ingredient has raised its market price. Ube is more expensive than the other root crops, though. This type of root crop also has a starchy tuber, and grows well in tropical and subtropical countries such as ours, the Philippines.
It grows on a vine and has tubers on the vine and on the ground. The inside of the ube has a beautiful and royal purple color, but doesn’t look much outside. The outside has a coarse dark brown skin.
The ube is distinct from the gabi. They are both root vegetables, both edible and also both taste so good. The ube root looks similar to the gabi root, but they are totally different.
Ube grows well in the Philippines, but does thrive well in any moderate climate.
Any Filipino will tell you how wonderful ube tastes, whether boiled, fried, baked or made into jam and sweetened.
These little yams have the capacity to prevent DNA damage, cardiovascular disease, stroke and even help prevent the Cancer, due to the abundance of its antioxidants.
Ube flour is a very popular ingredient for cake making, especially if you want to make an ube cake, you don’t have to mash the tuber, since the flour is available in most supermarkets. Use ube flour if you want a really exciting taste treat to make ube cake. Using ube flour sometimes have the disadvantage of losing the heavenly fragrance of the boiling ube, though. The aroma of boiling ube permeates the entire house and really smells intoxicating.
Ube can be boiled, fried, mashed, jammed, or mixed in a flan or a filling, ice cream flavoring smoothies, toppings for halo-halo, and its uses are too many to name.
However for your baking pleasure we present this recipe for ube cake. Bakers know that cake baking is a pleasure, albeit time consuming. So while we urge you to try this cake, (simple to make) we also think that some cake bakers in Baguio have very good cakes.
UBE CAKE Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (sifted with baking powder and salt)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ube (purple yam), cooked and finely grated
3/4 cup milk + 1/8 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup light corn syrup
7 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
7 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup caster’s sugar
1 (12 ounce) jar macapuno (coconut preserves) (optional, you can use other filling instead) Buttercream icing:
50 ml Egg whites
100 g Refined sugar
250 g Butter, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons violet food coloring Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 165° C (325° F). Line bottoms of 3 – 9 inch pans with parchment paper, do not grease. Mix together and sift the flour, baking powUbe der, and salt; set aside.
2. Place grated ube in a large bowl. Mix together 3/4 + 1/8 cup milk and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla; gradually blend into ube until smooth. Blend in light corn syrup, egg yolks, and oil. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the centre of cake bounces back. Invert pans on a wire rack and let cool upside down. When cool, run a knife around the edges to loosen cake from pans.
5. (If you will use macapuno) Fill between layers with coconut preserves, then frost top and sides with butter icing.
To make Butter icing:
6. Combine egg white and sugar until fully incorporated. (The method used is Swiss meringue, but you may use the Italian meringue method with a heated sugar syrup)
7. Place on top of a double boiler. Whisk constantly until temperature reaches 65-70° C.
8. Transfer into an electric mixer, whisk until medium stiff. Replace with paddle attachment then beat on medium speed until cold. Gradually add the butter and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add violet food coloring.
Note bene: Make your own caster sugar by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor, blender or any food grinder until the sugar granules are smaller, but not powdered. Note that is the sugar is powdered, the cake will be dense, especially if using cake flour.
9. Put the cake together and decorate to your own style and preference.
We come now to the ube halaya, the total and forever fave of the party and fiesta table.
Since the plant’s tubers are already vividly violet in color (hence, its name), all you need to do is add a few ingredients to turn the ube into a creamy dessert called ube halaya (ube jam) – the most common and simplest way to consume ube. However, no one knows how it became a constant, familiar dessert staple among Filipino families.
Halaya is the easiest thing a cook can do, the only drawback is that it is rather time-consuming. There are quite a few ways of preparing this dish. Some ube halaya version makes use of condensed milk to cook the yam with, while others depend on coconut milk.
You need only 3 major ingredients to make halaya; ube, sugar and milk. All the rest is up to your chosen recipe. You may add or use condensada, kakang gata, butter, vanilla, lemon zest or anything your heart desires.
halaya is typically served cold (straight from the refrigerator). Optional topping includes browned grated coconut (latik) or condensed milk
In the 1960s, there have been variations on how ube halaya has been presented. For instance, some have the jam moulded on llanera (an ovalshaped serving plate), and decorated much like a cake. But you may let your imagination run wild, and make it very attractive.
UBE HALAYA Ingredients:
2 kilos ube, boiled and peeled
2 cans Coconut milk or coconut cream 1/2 kilo (one pound) butter, softened
2 cans condensed milk
2 cups Sugar
Pinch of Salt Instructions:
1. Cut the boiled and peeled Ube into 2 inch cubes. Using a potato masher or potato ricer, mash until smooth until no chunks are visible.
2. Mix the ingredients in a pan, leave out 1/4 cup butter.
3. Cook on medium heat until the liquid is reduced and fully absorbed by the yam, stirring continuously for about 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn the heat to medium low and continue stirring until you get a very thick consistency.
5. Brush your serving pan or container with remaining butter and spread out the ube halaya. The butter will prevent it from sticking to the container.
6. Cool and refrigerate before serving. Please note that these are all based on individual preferences, and you as a cook, should taste and adjust as you go.
You can also try cooking these lovely recipes during the holiday season.
Bon appetit!