Ube Cupcakes!

How I was introduced to "Ube":
My brother turned 7 on the 15th of last month.
My dad is a very friendly consultant of anesthesia, who works in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where most nurses are Filipino. Now. there's this one nurse, Yasmeen, who considers my dad the epitome of fatherhood and kindness, and her son's Godfather. Yasmeen, her husband and son asked my dad if they could come over for tea a day before my brother's birthday and brought Purple (ube) cake with them.

What is Ube? Ube means, in Tagalog, purple yam(s), I don't know if we get purple yams in Egypt, but they sell some sort of ube jam here at the Asian section at the supermarket, and you could easily find it in Asian supermarkets. They also sell it in powdered form.

Last night, I decided I would bake some, in cupcake form since it takes less to cook.

Ube Cupcakes Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs (I used 5 small)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2.5 cups of flour
1 cup milk
1 cup ube jam

I changed that a bit, i added more ube jam and a bit less sugar. I also used skimmed milk.

For the frosting:
250 grams of cream cheese
1/2 cup of butter
3 cups of sugar
1/2 cup ube jam

I changed this, too, a bit, added less butter and more ube, and so less sugar. Mix all that and you've got your cream cheese frosting.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit which is about 170 Celsius.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
• In a different container; mix butter and sugar using a mixer until fluffy
• Add one egg at a time, and mix. Then add ube.
• Add flour mixture and milk, in intervals
• Fill your containers half to two-thirds full and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. The larger the container, the more it will take to bake. Bake till fork/toothpick comes out clean.

Now find your way and decorate your cupcakes. They didn't come out purple, but the icing is sort of a pastel purple, you could use violet food coloring.
If you can find purple yams, then boil and mash them and add them instead of using the jam/powder.
You could also use this:
Purple Yam Frosting

• 3 cups grated cooked purple yam (ube)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• ½ cup butter
• about 1 ½ cups fresh milk

1. In a medium sauce pan, mix purple yam, sugar and evaporated milk and place in medium heat. Keep stirring.
2. Add butter in batches. Alternate with fresh milk. Keep mixing until desired consistency, for spreading or for piping. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Will add pictures later! I'm so proud of moi!