Ube Cheesecake

Ube — purple yam, a Filipino staple — has had a real moment in dessert culture lately, and this cheesecake shows exactly why. Vibrant purple color, a subtly sweet, nutty, vanilla-like flavor unlike anything else, and a genuinely stunning presentation.

Ingredients

Crust

• 200g graham cracker crumbs
• 90g melted butter
• 2 tbsp sugar

Filling

• 675g cream cheese, room temperature
• 200g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100g ube halaya (purple yam jam, available at Asian grocers)
• 1 tsp ube extract (for extra color and flavor)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 120g sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F. Combine crust ingredients and press into a springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, add eggs one at a time.
3. Add ube halaya, ube extract, vanilla, and sour cream, mixing until fully combined and evenly purple.
4. Pour over the crust and smooth the top.
5. Bake in a water bath for 55-65 minutes, until the edges are set with a slight jiggle in the center.
6. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest inside with the door cracked for 1 hour.
7. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, before slicing.

Note: ube extract and halaya are both available online or at Asian/Filipino grocers — the color and flavor genuinely can't be replicated with food coloring alone.

Hugs, Alla xox

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