Luto-Luto: Ube Macapuno Cake

 UBE MACAPUNO CAKE

Filipinos love ube - purple yam. Filipinos love macapuno - young coconut strings in syrup. And my Dad loves both! So for his 66th birthday, we surprised him with this. From someone who's a newbie baker and cook, it is a most precious gift of all!

INGREDIENTS	PROCESS
Prepare ahead of time: Remove 1 cup butter from the refrigerator 2-3 hour prior to soften in room temperature. Prepare ahead of time: 1 cup grated ube (purple yam). Using the stovetop, fill a pot with enough water to cover the ube. Cover the pot.  Bring to a boil for about 20-25 minutes.  Ube is cooked when ube is tender.  Use a fork to piece through. Allow to cool. Grate after ube has cooled.
2 ½ cups cake flour	1.    Mix together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¾ cup milk	2.    Mix together milk and vanilla extract. 3.    Gradually blend-in grated ube until smooth. 4.    Blend-in corn syrup, egg yolks, and oil. 5.    Mix-in flour mixture (#1 above) until smooth.  Set aside.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup corn syrup
7egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ cup vegetable oil
7 egg whites	6.    Using an electric mixer with wire beaters at high speed, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. 7.    Gradually add sugar and food coloring. 8.    Beat until stiff peak forms. 9.    Gently fold-in egg white mixture into the ube mixture (#5 above) until no streaks remain.
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
6 drops of red and blue coloring to make the ube-ish color (purple or violet)
At this time, preheat oven to 325°F.  You may use 2 cake pans to achieve a layered cake. Line bottom of cake pan(s) with parchment paper. When preheating is done, pour batter into prepared cake pan(s). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cake bounces back.  Allow to cool.
1 cup evaporated milk	10.To make the butter icing, combine evaporated milk and sugar.  Set aside. 11.Using an electric mixer with flat beaters at low speed, cream softened butter until light and fluffy. 12.Gradually add the milk and sugar mixture (#10 above). 13.Switch beater to medium or high speed. Continue beating until the mixture has a consistency that is easy to spread. 14.Add food coloring. Add less or more depending on the desired color.
¾ cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 drop violet food coloring
ASSEMBLING THE UBE-MACAPUNO CAKE
1 jar (12 oz.) macapuno (coconut preserves)	15.Spread macapuno in-between layers of the cake. 16.Spread the butter icing on top and sides of cake. 17.If desired, add more macapuno on top of the cake. 18.Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. (While the cake can be eaten right away, chilling the cake ensures a firmer texture.)
STORAGE: Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
ENJOY J