Ube Cheesecake

This creamy ube cheesecake is made with a crunchy oreo cookie crust and heavenly coconut whipped cream on top! It's the perfect decadent dessert full of ube purple yam, vanilla, and coconut flavour.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Tools
• Ingredients
• How to make ube cheesecake
• Storage
• Freezing
• Tips & tricks
• Frequently asked questions
• More cheesecake recipes to try
• Recipe

Ube (purple yam or purple sweet potato) is a popular ingredient and flavour to use for its sweet, nutty, and vanilla-like flavour and its unmistakable vibrant purple colour. We're using ube halaya (purple yam spread or jam) and ube extract or flavouring to get the most that amazing ube in this cheesecake.

The oreo cookie crust is a fun and yummy way to make a crust that pairs well with all the other flavours. I often prefer it over graham cracker crusts because it tastes so good and makes a striking black crust.

The coconut cream topping on this cheesecake is essential. Trust me. The strong coconut flavour completely transforms this ube cheesecake and brings out all the flavours of ube even more. It's also incredibly easy to make and just throw on top of an already luxurious cheescake.

Why you'll love this recipe

• This ube cheesecake is incredibly rich, creamy, and so delicious!
• The nutty and vanilla flavours of ube compliment the coconut cream so well.
• Most other ube cheesecake recipes are made with a graham cracker crust but you have to try the oreo cookie crust in this recipe. It tastes better and pairs better with ube and coconut flavours, in my opinion.
• I go through this recipe step-by-step with tips on how to prevent your cheesecake from cracking and more!

Tools

• 9" springform pan - Use a 9" springform pan with sides that are about 2 ¼" high. Springform pans have a removable bottom so that you can release your cheesecake easily after baking.
• Electric hand mixer - I use my Kitchenaid hand mixer in the majority of my baking recipes. This cheesecake recipe doesn't need any intense mixing so you don't need to use a stand mixer but you can if you want! You'll mostly need this for mixing the cream cheese so that it's super smooth and creamy.

Ingredients

• Oreos - Finely crush whole oreos by whacking them with a rolling pin or blitzing them in a food processor. You'll need almost a whole family size package of oreos. If you only want the crust on the bottom of the cheesecake and not the sides, you can halve the crust recipe.
• Unsalted butter - Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stovetop before using.
• Cream cheese - Use cream cheese bricks, not the ones in the tubs meant for spreading. You'll need 4 bricks. Let them soften to room temperature before using.
• Granulated sugar
• Greek yogurt - This add more creaminess and a slight tartness to the cheesecake.
• Vanilla extract - This amplifies the delicious vanilla flavour of ube.
• Ube halaya - Ube halaya is purple yam puree combined with sugar and other ingredients to make a spread or jam. It comes in a small jar and is usually labelled as ube halaya spread or ube halaya jam. You can typically find it at Asian or Filipino specialty grocery stores.
• Ube extract - Ube extract is artificial flavouring and colouring that gives ube treats its recognizable smell, flavour, and taste. It's much stronger than ube halaya and is essential when making ube desserts.
• Eggs - Use large-sized eggs. Take them out of the fridge ahead of time to let them come to room temperature before adding them to the batter.
• Full-fat coconut milk - Some brands of canned coconut milk work better than others. I recommend using the Aroy-D and Savoy brands of coconut milk/cream. Refrigerate the whole can overnight for the coconut cream to separate and harden.
• Powdered sugar - This gives the coconut cream some sweetness and also helps thicken it. Adjust the amount to your tastes.
• Cornstarch - This is optional. Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of cornstarch if your coconut cream is too liquidy.
• Large coconut flakes - Optional, for garnish.

How to make ube cheesecake

For the oreo crust

Prep - Preheat oven to 350℉ and line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Crush oreos - Fill a ziploc bag with the oreo cookies and whack them with a rolling pin until they're finely crushed. You can also whiz them in a food processor. Transfer the crushed oreos to a small bowl and pour in melted butter. Stir well until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Press crust into pan - Pour this mixture out into your lined springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or spatula to firmly press the crumbs into a thin layer on the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the pan.

Bake - Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely while you prepare the cheesecake.

For the ube cheesecake

Prep - Lower the oven temperature to 325℉.

Beat cream cheese - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat cream cheese until very creamy.

Mix batter - Add sugar, greek yogurt, vanilla extract, ube halaya, and ube extract. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add one egg at a time, mixing in between each addition until smooth and creamy.

Pour over crust - Transfer the batter to your baked crust, filling the pan a bit more than ¾ full. Wrap the bottom edges of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent leaking.

Bake - Fill a pan with about 1" of boiling water and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for 65-70 minutes or until the outer 2" of the cheesecake is set but the middle half is still jiggly.

Cool and chill - Immediately after taking it out of the oven, carefully run an offset spatula around the outer edge of the cheesecake to prevent cracking as it shrinks. Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature before covering it with plastic wrap and chilling it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the coconut cream topping

Chill coconut milk - Chill your can of coconut milk in the fridge the day before. After 24 hours, carefully open the can without tilting it or disturbing it too much.

Scoop - Scoop out the separated and solidified coconut cream from the can into a mixing bowl, avoiding the coconut water. You can drink the coconut water or save it for another recipe.

Whip - Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the coconut cream and use a hand mixer to whip the coconut cream for about 1 minute until light peaks form. Don't overmix as it can separate.

Chill - If the coconut cream is too liquidy, add a bit of cornstarch to thicken it. Whip for another 30 seconds until combined. You can either use the cream right away or chill it in the fridge for a few hours to thicken it up even more.

Add to cheesecake - Release the cheesecake from the pan and pile the cream on top of it. Use a spatula to spread it around. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Storage

This ube cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. Always keep it refrigerated as it contains a lot of dairy and eggs. You can take it out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before you serve it so that it's not fridge-cold.

Freezing

Leftovers of this cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

Tips & tricks

Use room temperature ingredients

The cream cheese and eggs should be at room temperature. Cold cream cheese can be very difficult to beat and you may end up with a chunky batter rather than a smooth one. Room temperature eggs mix seamlessly into the batter and prevent curdling.

Prevent springform pan from leaking

I've never met a springform pan that doesn't leak. To prevent a mess on the bottom of your oven that burns and makes your house smoky (speaking from experience), wrap the bottom edges of your pan with aluminum foil. Just crumple it around the edges. You can also place a large baking tray on the bottom rack to catch drips.

Water bath

I'm not a fan of water baths since they're messy and water can seep into the pan. I'd recommend filling a separate roasting pan with about 1" of boiling hot water and placing it on the bottom rack of the oven. The steam that comes from the pan of water adds moisture to the cheesecake while it bakes and works in a similar way to a water bath.

Prevent cheesecake from cracking

Baking cheesecake with enough moisture in the oven environment is key to preventing cracks. Baking with a pan of hot water in the oven as noted above is perfect for this.

Overbaked cheesecakes can also crack since more moisture is cooked out of them. Take your cheesecake out of the oven when the outer edges are set but the middle is still jiggly.

Cheesecake will also shrink as it cools so run an offset spatula or knife around the outer edges of the cheesecake to prevent it from sticking to the pan and let it shrink without any pulling.

Coconut whipped cream

Remember to pop a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. If you don't chill it for long enough, the coconut cream won't separate from the coconut water and solidify. Don't shake or disturb the can during or after chilling.

Always use a full-fat coconut milk since it has more cream. I found this guide on making coconut whipped cream to be super helpful if you want more in-depth details about which brands are best for separating out the cream and which ones to avoid.

Chilling the coconut cream helps to thicken it. You can chill it again after you've scooped it out of the can and whipped it or use a chilled mixing bowl so that the cream stays cold the moment it's added to the bowl.

Frequently asked questions

More cheesecake recipes to try

• Passionfruit Cheesecake
• Strawberry Jelly Cheesecake
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake
• Strawberry Cheesecake Macarons

Recipe