Ube Cheesecake

This Ube Cheesecake is a delicious dessert that combines traditional Filipino flavors with the creamy decadence of a classic cheesecake. This delectable treat features a luscious and velvety ube filling on a buttery graham cracker crust.

The vibrant purple hue of the ube adds a visually stunning element to the cheesecake, and also infuses it with a subtle earthiness, and a rich nutty vanilla flavor.

Ube is native to Southeast Asia, very popular in Filipino sweets and recipes. It is a purple yam with a mild, sweet flavor, and coconut and pistachio notes.

Ube Cheesecake Recipe

I will show you step by step how to make this Ube Cheesecake Recipe. The full instructions along with the measurements can be found on the bottom of the page.

To make this Ube Cheesecake we are using Ube Halaya Purple Yam Jam. I used the brand Tropics. You can also make it yourself. Some people told me the taste of the homemade ube jam is even stronger than the store-bought. While it is hard to find fresh ube where I live, and in many places in the United States, you can get frozen ube pretty easily at Asian markets, and use that to make jam. I will try it soon.

I have also added ube extract to the cheesecake, and the brand I used was Butterfly. The thing is that ube has a very subtle taste, and specially mixed in with a rich dessert such as cheesecake, it can fade quite easily if you don’t add the extract. So while the extract is optional, I do recommend using it.

I didn’t add vanilla extract to the recipe because the ube already provides a vanilla taste to the cheesecake, and I didn’t want to overshadow the natural ube flavors.

Graham Cracker Crust

We will start by making the graham cracker crust.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture on the bottom of a 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan. If using a 8″ cheesecake pan, make sure it’s tall enough. I use the 8″ springform pan from Fat Daddio. It is 3″ tall.

Press the crumbs on the bottom of the pan using a cup to pack tightly.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

Set it aside and let it cool down.

Ube Cheesecake Batter

Grease the sides of the cheesecake pan.

I like to grease the sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust in, first I have a hard time making the crust stick to the sides of the pan, and also, it makes the crust soggy.

To make the Ube Cheesecake filling, beat the full-fat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl over medium-high speed, for 3 minutes. You can use a hand mixer, or a stand mixer. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. 

Scrape the bowl in between mixing.

Add the sugar, and beat again for another 2 minutes, or until creamy. Scrape the bowl.

Add the ube halaya jam, the sour cream, and the ube extract. Mix to combine.

Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure one egg is incorporated before adding the next one, scraping the bowl in between.

Finish by adding the salt, and then mix briefly on low speed until incorporated.

Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the cooled down crust.

Baking

Wrap the bottom of the cheesecake pan with aluminum foil. I like to use the widest foil I can find at the store, to help prevent any water leaking inside and making the cheesecake crust soggy.

Place the cheesecake pan inside of a larger pan. I use those disposable roasting pans from the store. You don’t have to throw them out every single time, since you are only going to be using it for a water bath.

Boil water and pour the hot water on the bottom of the pan, be careful not to let it drip inside the foil. The pan of hot water will be the water bath for the cheesecake. It helps prevent the cheesecake from cracking on top. I never bake a cheesecake without it.

Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated oven for 60 to 75 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven, size of the pan you are using, etc. Don’t go by time. Instead, go by the consistency of the cheesecake. Give the pan a wiggle, and the cheesecake should be slightly jiggly in the center and set around the edges.

Turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake sit inside the oven for one hour.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Let it cool down on the counter, and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before removing the ring from the pan.

Ube Whipped Cream

To make the Ube Whipped Cream simply whip the heavy cream with ube extract and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.

Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cheesecake.

I also topped the cheesecake with white chocolate crispearls, because I thought they went super well with the purple cheesecake.

Storage

Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the cheesecake, before adding the whipped cream on top. To do that, place it in the freezer for one hour. Then wrap the semi-frozen cheesecake tightly in plastic wrap. It’s preferable to further store it in a freezer bag, or in an air-tight container if possible. If not, make sure to wrap it several times with the plastic wrap.

You can also freeze slices of the cheesecake, by placing them inside of an air tight container, with a layer of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sides of the slice, to prevent them from being too dry.

This cheesecake is super delicious and creamy, check out the wonderful texture, and the beautiful purple color!

It would be a great dessert to bring to a celebration, or to share with your friends and family.

Tips for making cheesecake

• Use full-fat cream cheese, and full-fat sour cream.
• Make sure the ingredients (cream cheese, sour cream, eggs) are at room temperature
• Scrape the bowl several times in between mixing, to ensure the batter won’t become lumpy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for one egg to be incorporated before adding the next one.
• Don’t over mix the batter once the eggs have been added, that can cause the cheesecake to expand too much in the oven during baking, and falling and cracking.
• Do make sure to use a water bath to prevent cracking.
• Leave the cheesecake in the shut off oven for one hour once it’s done baking. The sudden temperature change can make the cake break on top.

If you like this recipe, here are some others you may also like:

• Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
• Nutella Cheesecake
• Pistachio Cheesecake
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Biscoff Cheesecake
• Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Thanks for reading! If you make this recipe leave a comment below or tag me on instagram! I always love hearing from you!

Ube Cheesecake

Camila Hurst

This Ube Cheesecake is a delicious dessert that combines traditional Filipino flavors with the creamy decadence of a classic cheesecake. This delectable treat features a luscious and velvety ube filling on a buttery graham cracker crust.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Resting time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 180 grams, or digestive biscuits
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 55 grams
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted 85 grams

Cheesecake batter

• 907 grams cream cheese softened 4 packages of 8 oz.
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar 250 grams
• 1 cup ube halaya jam 300 grams
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream 120 grams
• 1 tbsp ube extract
• 4 large eggs room temp
• 1/4 tsp salt

Ube Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp ube extract

Instructions

 

Graham Cracker Crust

• Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
• Place the graham cracker in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
• Add the sugar and mix to combine.
• Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs and sugar.
• Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.
• Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove it from the oven and let it cool down.

Cheesecake Batter

• Grease the sides of the cheesecake pan. (Read notes)
• Beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
• Add the granulated sugar to the cream cheese and beat for another 2 minutes at medium speed.
• Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
• Add the ube jam, sour cream, ube extract, and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl.
• Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times during the mixing process, to avoid the cream cheese from forming lumps in the batter.
• Add the eggs to the batter one at a time, mixing one egg until incorporated before adding the next one.
• Avoid over mixing once the eggs are added, to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.
• Add the salt and mix.
• Pour the cheesecake batter in the pan, over the baked and cooled crust.
• Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
• Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is very important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack.
• Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 75 minutes.
• To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.
• Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
• Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and once it has cooled down place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours to chill. Only remove the ring from around the cake after it has chilled in the fridge.

Ube Whipped Cream

• To a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream, ube extract, and powdered sugar.
• Whip with the whisk attachment for about 3 minutes, or until the cream achieves stiff peaks.
• Place it in a piping bag fitted with the tip of choice. I used a tip 1M.

To decorate

• Pipe the Ube Whipped Cream on top of the cheesecake. I also decorated the cheesecake with white crispearls.

Storage

• Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure to place any leftovers in an air tight container.

Notes

Greasing the cheesecake pan: I like to grease the sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust in, first I have a hard time making the crust stick to the sides of the pan, and also, it makes the crust soggy.

Electric mixer: I prefer to use a hand mixer to make cheesecake, because the bowl of the stand mixer is too deep and not wide enough, and the paddle doesn’t have a good reach around the bottom and sides of the bowl, so often times the cheesecake can become lumpy if you don’t scrape the bowl enough times while making the recipe.

Oven temperature: If using a convection oven, you may have to use a lower baking temperature, around 300ºF instead. And baking time may also vary. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, and set around the edges.

Crust: You can use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers.

Keyword cheesecake