This ube doily cake turns one tall eight-inch round into a calm, high-impact dessert: deep violet crumb, a thin coat of lavender cream cheese frosting, and a flat powdered-sugar lace pattern made with a food-safe cake stencil. The finish is delicate; the method is not.
Recipe Snapshot
Make this in an 8-inch, 3-inch-deep metal cake pan for 10 slices. Ube halaya gives the cake its earthy sweetness and moist texture; ube extract boosts the color without changing the cake’s soft crumb. The frosting stays intentionally thin so the violet cake remains visible.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup neutral oil
- 3/4 cup ube halaya
- 1 teaspoon ube extract
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons ube halaya
- 1/4 teaspoon ube extract
- 1 round food-safe lace cake stencil with line-shaped openings
Use cake flour for the tenderest crumb and full-fat cream cheese for a frosting that will hold a crisp stencil. Use a clean, dry stencil made for food contact; ordinary fabric or crocheted lace must never touch the cake.
1. Mix the Violet Batter
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch, 3-inch-deep metal cake pan and line the base with parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, milk, oil, ube halaya, and extract smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients only until no flour streaks remain, then level the batter in the pan.
2. Bake and Cool Completely
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn the cake onto a rack. Give it about 75 minutes to cool fully; warm cake will melt the frosting and blur the pattern.
3. Keep the Frosting Thin
Beat cream cheese and butter smooth. Beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons ube halaya, and 1/4 teaspoon ube extract until pale lavender. Frost the top, then skim a deliberately thin coat around the side. Chill for 20 minutes so the surface firms up.
4. Make the Doily Pattern
Center the food-safe lace stencil on the cold frosting. Sift the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar evenly through its narrow line-shaped openings, then lift straight up without sliding. The finished lines should be flat and powdery—not raised like piped icing. Serve promptly for the sharpest design.
Storage and Helpful Notes
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; add a fresh powdered-sugar pattern after chilling if needed. For more jewel-toned dessert ideas, try strawberry rose agar jelly candy or apple cider cheesecake bars.
Final Check
The pan size, bake range, cooling time, thin frosting finish, and food-safe lace stencil all match the violet single-layer cake shown here. Those small checkpoints keep the powdered pattern flat, sharp, and physically achievable.