March 2025 · Recipe
Ube Tres Leches Cake: The Ultimate Filipino-Latin Fusion Dessert
A show-stopping purple tres leches cake made with real ube powder. Creamy, soaked, and absolutely unforgettable.
What happens when you combine the beloved Filipino purple yam with the iconic Latin American milk-soaked cake? You get Ube Tres Leches - a dessert that is as stunning to look at as it is to eat.
This recipe uses UBE NOLIA premium ube powder to infuse every layer with authentic ube flavor: the sponge, the three-milk soak, and the whipped cream topping. The result is a dreamy purple cake with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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Key Takeaways
- Real ube flavor in all three layers: sponge, milk soak, and whipped topping
- No artificial coloring needed - UBE NOLIA ube powder provides natural purple color
- Best served chilled after soaking for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better)
- Perfect for birthdays, holidays, potlucks, and special occasions
- Gluten-free option: substitute with gluten-free all-purpose flour
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Total time
- 4 h
- Servings
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Dietary
- Gluten-free option
What Is Ube Tres Leches?
Tres leches ("three milks") is a classic Latin American cake where a light sponge is soaked in a mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. The ube version adds Filipino purple yam to create a beautiful purple twist.
Ube brings a subtle biscuity, vanilla-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the rich, creamy milk soak. The result is a cross-cultural dessert that has taken social media and bakeries by storm.
Why Use UBE NOLIA Ube Powder?
Unlike ube extract or artificial flavoring, UBE NOLIA premium ube powder is made from 100% real Philippine purple yam. It delivers authentic flavor, natural color, and the nutritional benefits of real ube - including antioxidants and fiber.
Just a few tablespoons transform your tres leches into an Instagram-worthy masterpiece with genuine ube taste.
Ingredients
🧁 Ube Sponge Cake
- • 240ml all-purpose flour
- • 1½ tsp baking powder
- • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- • 240ml granulated sugar
- • 80ml whole milk
- • 2 tbsp UBE NOLIA ube powder
- • 1 tsp vanilla extract
🥛 Three-Milk Ube Soak
- • 1 can (395g) sweetened condensed milk
- • 1 can (340g) evaporated milk
- • 240ml heavy cream
- • 1 tbsp UBE NOLIA ube powder
🍰 Ube Whipped Cream Topping
- • 480ml heavy whipping cream, cold
- • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- • 1 tbsp UBE NOLIA ube powder
Optional toppings: toasted coconut flakes, crushed macapuno, ube halaya drizzle
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Ube Sponge:
- Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and flour a 9x33cm baking pan.
- Whisk together flour and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes until thick, pale, and tripled in volume.
- In a small bowl, combine milk, ube powder, and vanilla extract. Stir until the ube powder is dissolved.
- Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in two additions. Then fold in the ube milk mixture.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Prepare the Three-Milk Ube Soak:
- Whisk together condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, and 1 tbsp ube powder until smooth and purple.
- Using a fork, poke holes all over the cooled cake (the more holes, the more the cake absorbs).
- Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the entire cake.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight.
Add the Ube Whipped Cream:
- Beat cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp ube powder until stiff peaks form.
- Spread evenly over the soaked cake.
- Garnish with toasted coconut, macapuno strings, or a drizzle of ube halaya.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Best enjoyed cold!
💡 Pro Tip: For the most intense ube flavor, let the cake soak overnight. The longer it sits, the more the purple color deepens and the flavors meld together.
Tips for the Perfect Ube Tres Leches
- Room temperature eggs - they whip up fluffier, creating a lighter sponge that absorbs more milk
- Do not skip the cooling step - pouring milk over a warm cake will make it fall apart
- Poke generously - use a fork or chopstick to create lots of holes for maximum absorption
- Overnight soak is best - patience rewards you with the creamiest, most flavorful result
- Keep it cold - tres leches is always served chilled, never at room temperature
Storage
Ube tres leches keeps well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, covered tightly with plastic wrap. The flavor actually improves on day 2 as the milk soak continues to develop.
Freezing is not recommended as the milk soak changes texture when thawed. Best enjoyed fresh from the fridge.
Ube: The Purple Yam of Filipino Culinary Heritage
The star ingredient of this Ube Tres Leches Cake is ube, the Filipino purple yam (Dioscorea alata). Known in the Philippines as ube, ubi, or uví, this root vegetable is distinct from sweet potatoes. Its vibrant purple hue comes from naturally occurring anthocyanins, potent plant compounds. Ube Nolia ube powder, derived from 100% pure purple yam from Dagupan and Urdaneta in the Philippines, imparts a unique biscuit and vanilla flavour to dishes.
The integration of ube into Filipino cuisine has deep historical roots, influenced by Spanish colonisation which introduced terms like jalea (jam, often referring to ube jam). The 20th century saw the widespread adoption of condensed and evaporated milk, enabling creamy desserts like halo-halo and sapin-sapin. This Ube Tres Leches Cake represents a modern Filipino-Latin fusion, building on these traditions while aligning with the global appreciation for ube's distinctive flavour and colour.
Botanical Name
Dioscorea alata
Origin
Philippines (Dagupan, Urdaneta)
Flavour Profile
Biscuit & Vanilla
Nutritional Benefit
Good source of fibre
Troubleshooting Your Ube Tres Leches Cake
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cake is dry or dense | Overmixing the flour or overbaking the cake. | Fold flour gently until just combined. Bake only until a toothpick comes out clean. |
| Cake does not absorb milk mixture | Cake was not properly cooled or holes were not poked adequately. | Ensure cake is completely cool before pouring milk. Poke many small holes with a fork or skewer. |
| Ube flavour is too subtle | Insufficient Ube Nolia ube powder used in cake batter or milk mixture. | Ensure exact measurements of Ube Nolia ube powder are used as specified in the recipe. |
| Whipped cream topping is runny | Heavy cream was not cold enough or was under-whipped. | Use very cold heavy cream. Whip until stiff peaks form, ensuring not to over-whip into butter. |
4 Creative Ways to Use Ube Nolia Ube Powder
Breakfast & Brunch
- Incorporate into pancake or waffle batter for a vibrant purple hue.
- Blend into smoothies with banana and coconut milk.
- Swirl into oatmeal or chia pudding for added flavour.
- Create Ube French toast batter for a unique morning treat.
Baked Goods & Desserts
- Add to cookie dough for purple ube cookies.
- Mix into cupcake batter and frosting for ube cupcakes.
- Infuse into cheesecakes for a creamy, colourful dessert.
- Prepare homemade ube ice cream or gelato.
Beverages & Drinks
- Stir into hot milk for a comforting ube latte.
- Blend into milkshakes with vanilla ice cream.
- Use as a flavour base for bubble tea or boba drinks.
- Create a vibrant ube cocktail or mocktail mixer.
Filipino Delicacies
- Enhance the colour and flavour of traditional sapin-sapin.
- Prepare creamy ube halaya (ube jam) from scratch.
- Flavour and colour homemade pandesal (Filipino bread rolls).
- Incorporate into kakanin (rice cakes) like palitaw or biko.
Less than a coffee. Better than a matcha.
With the 5-pack you get 165 ube lattes at home. Cheaper than a café, delivered to your door.
This recipe is made with ube powder from Ube Nolia, the #1 natural ube brand from the Philippines. Discover our buy ube powder, 100% pure: no coloring, no additives, no added sugar. One 100 g pouch makes 33 ube lattes.
Looking for ube powder? Ube Nolia sells 100% pure ube from the Philippines, with no coloring, no additives and no added sugar.
New to purple yam? Read our complete guide: What is ube? - origin, taste, benefits and how to use Ube Nolia ube powder.
