Ube Cheesecake – Creamy, Rich Purple Yam Cheesecake
This post may contain affiliate links.This ube cheesecake has three delicious layers—homemade ube halaya on the bottom, creamy ube cheesecake in the middle, and classic cheesecake on top. You get a little bit of everything in each slice, with plenty of real ube flavor.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Ube Cheesecake
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 40 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 8 slices
🔥 Calories: 251 kcal per slice (estimate)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Ube halaya, cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cornstarch (optional).
🥗 Dietary Info: Gluten free
🧠 Difficulty: Very easy
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If you love ube and cheesecake, this ube cheesecake gives you plenty of both in one slice. I made it with three layers: homemade ube halaya on the bottom, ube halaya mixed with the cheesecake batter in the middle, and the original cheesecake mixture on top.
I really like how you can see the three layers after cutting the cake. The bottom has the strongest ube flavor, the middle is creamier and lighter, while the top tastes like a classic rich cheesecake. Eat all three together and you get the ube and cheesecake flavors in every bite.
I used my homemade ube halaya for this ube cheesecake recipe. You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to make the cheesecake.
I’ve made quite a few cheesecakes for the blog, including my burnt Basque cheesecake and pandan Basque cheesecake, but this one is a little different because of those three layers. If you like trying Asian flavors in cheesecake, I think this is a fun one to make.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Cream cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese for the richest and creamiest cheesecake. Let it soften at room temperature before mixing so it combines smoothly with the other ingredients.
Heavy cream – Adds richness and helps give the cheesecake its creamy texture.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens the cheesecake and dissolves easily into the cream cheese mixture.
Eggs – Help set the cheesecake and give it a smooth, rich texture. Room-temperature eggs are easier to mix evenly into the batter.
Ube halaya – This gives the cheesecake its ube flavor, color, and creamy texture. I use my homemade ube halaya, but you can also use store-bought ube halaya.
Vanilla extract – Adds a little extra aroma and rounds out the flavor of the cheesecake.
Cornstarch (optional) – You can add a small amount of cornstarch for a slightly firmer cheesecake. I usually leave it out for a softer, creamier texture.
How to Make Ube Cheesecake
STEP 1. Weigh 200 grams of ube halaya and place it in a loose-bottom baking pan lined with parchment paper (Image 1). Press the ube halaya evenly over the bottom of the pan to form the first layer (Image 2). In a large bowl, combine the room-temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (Image 3). Mix on low speed until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream (Image 4) and continue mixing until well combined.
STEP 2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition (Images 5, 6). Strain the cheesecake mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture (Image 7). Take one-third of the cheesecake mixture and add it to the remaining ube halaya (Image 8).
STEP 3. Mix the ube halaya and cheesecake mixture on low speed until well combined (Image 9). Pour this ube cheesecake mixture over the ube halaya layer in the prepared pan (Image 10). Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to help the mixture settle evenly. Pour the remaining plain cheesecake mixture on top (Image 11). Gently tap the pan again to level the surface (Image 12).
Bake in a preheated oven at 428°F (220°C) for about 25 minutes, or until the top is deeply browned.
STEP 4. Remove the cheesecake from the oven. The center will still be jiggly at this point, and the cheesecake will deflate slightly as it cools (Image 13). Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
STEP 5. Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Slice the cheesecake to reveal the three beautiful layers: ube halaya on the bottom, creamy ube cheesecake in the middle, and classic cheesecake on top (Image 14).
Pro Tips
- Use room-temperature cream cheese. Softened cream cheese mixes much more smoothly and helps prevent small lumps in the cheesecake batter.
- Scrape down the bowl while mixing. Stop the mixer occasionally and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so the cream cheese and other ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Mix on low speed. Avoid beating the cheesecake mixture too much, especially after adding the eggs. Too much air can make the cheesecake rise excessively in the oven and then collapse more as it cools.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix each egg just until incorporated before adding the next one.
- Strain the cheesecake mixture. Passing the batter through a fine-mesh sieve helps remove any remaining lumps and gives the cheesecake a smoother texture.
- Make the ube halaya base as even as possible. Press the ube halaya firmly and evenly over the bottom of the pan before adding the other layers. This will give you a cleaner three-layer look when you slice the cheesecake.
- Keep the layers separate. Pour the ube cheesecake mixture gently over the ube halaya, followed by the plain cheesecake mixture. Pouring slowly helps prevent the layers from mixing together too much.
- Tap the pan gently between layers. A few gentle taps on the counter help each mixture settle and level out before you add the next layer.
- Don’t wait for the center to become completely firm. The cheesecake should still jiggle when you take it out of the oven. It will continue to set as it cools.
- Cool before slicing. Let the cheesecake cool completely and chill it before cutting. This helps the three layers set properly and gives you much cleaner slices.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this ube cheesecake cold for the creamiest texture. I like to enjoy a small slice as dessert after a heavier meal.
For even more ube flavor, serve it with a scoop of ube ice cream or a few ube crinkle cookies on the side. For something refreshing, pair it with a cold glass of cucumber juice or watermelon juice. A cup of jasmine or oolong tea is also nice with this rich cheesecake.
Ube Cheesecake FAQs
This ube cheesecake is made with cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, powdered sugar, vanilla, and ube halaya. It has three layers: pure ube halaya on the bottom, ube halaya mixed with cheesecake batter in the middle, and classic cheesecake on top.
Yes. You can use store-bought ube halaya if you don’t want to make it from scratch. I use my homemade ube halaya recipe, which you can prepare ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator.
It is rich and creamy with the mildly sweet, earthy flavor of ube. The bottom layer has the strongest ube flavor, while the middle combines ube with creamy cheesecake and the top tastes like classic cheesecake.
The natural color of ube can vary, and mixing ube halaya with the pale cheesecake batter makes the purple color lighter. Baking can also dull the color slightly. The cheesecake doesn’t need to be bright purple to have good ube flavor.
The top should be deeply browned, while the center should still jiggle when you gently move the pan. The cheesecake will continue to set and will deflate slightly as it cools.
Storage
Store leftover ube cheesecake tightly wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to serve it cold straight from the fridge. Keep it well covered so the cheesecake doesn’t dry out or absorb other odors from the refrigerator.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Iceberg Cheesecake
- Brownies Burnt Cheesecake
- No Bake Mango Cheesecake
- Mini New York Cheesecake
- Hokkaido Cheese Tart
- Japanese Cheesecake
Ube Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 baking pan Loose bottom
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 hand mixer
- 1 spatula
- 1 colander
Ingredients
- 350 gr ube halaya
- 250 gr cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- 70 gr sugar
- 115 gr heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 10 gr cornstarch optional
Instructions
- Weigh 200 grams of ube halaya and place it in a loose-bottom baking pan lined with parchment paper (Image 1). Press the ube halaya evenly over the bottom of the pan to form the first layer (Image 2).
- In a large bowl, combine the room-temperature cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract (Image 3). Mix on low speed until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream (Image 4) and continue mixing until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition (Images 5, 6). Strain the cheesecake mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for a smoother texture (Image 7). Take one-third of the cheesecake mixture and add it to the remaining ube halaya (Image 8).
- Mix the ube halaya and cheesecake mixture on low speed until well combined (Image 9). Pour this ube cheesecake mixture over the ube halaya layer in the prepared pan (Image 10). Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to help the mixture settle evenly. Pour the remaining plain cheesecake mixture on top (Image 11). Gently tap the pan again to level the surface (Image 12).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 428–464°F (220–240°C) for about 25 minutes, or until the top is deeply browned.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven. The center will still be jiggly at this point, and the cheesecake will deflate slightly as it cools (Image 13). Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Slice the cheesecake to reveal the three beautiful layers: ube halaya on the bottom, creamy ube cheesecake in the middle, and classic cheesecake on top (Image 14).
Notes
- Use room-temperature cream cheese. Softened cream cheese mixes much more smoothly and helps prevent small lumps in the cheesecake batter.
- Scrape down the bowl while mixing. Stop the mixer occasionally and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so the cream cheese and other ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Mix on low speed. Avoid beating the cheesecake mixture too much, especially after adding the eggs. Too much air can make the cheesecake rise excessively in the oven and then collapse more as it cools.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Mix each egg just until incorporated before adding the next one.
- Strain the cheesecake mixture. Passing the batter through a fine-mesh sieve helps remove any remaining lumps and gives the cheesecake a smoother texture.
- Make the ube halaya base as even as possible. Press the ube halaya firmly and evenly over the bottom of the pan before adding the other layers. This will give you a cleaner three-layer look when you slice the cheesecake.
- Keep the layers separate. Pour the ube cheesecake mixture gently over the ube halaya, followed by the plain cheesecake mixture. Pouring slowly helps prevent the layers from mixing together too much.
- Tap the pan gently between layers. A few gentle taps on the counter help each mixture settle and level out before you add the next layer.
- Don’t wait for the center to become completely firm. The cheesecake should still jiggle when you take it out of the oven. It will continue to set as it cools.
- Cool before slicing. Let the cheesecake cool completely and chill it before cutting. This helps the three layers set properly and gives you much cleaner slices.
I was so surprised by how delicious this ube cheesecake turned out! The combination of ube halaya, creamy ube cheesecake, and classic cheesecake is absolutely amazing. Please leave a comment after you try this recipe—I’d love to know what you think!