Ube Loaf (Purple Yam Loaf)

This vibrant purple yam loaf brings a beloved Filipino flavour to your bread basket. Ube, traditionally a staple in Filipino cuisine, has recently captured mainstream attention and become a trendy ingredient across social media and popular culture. This recipe transforms the classic purple yam into a soft, fluffy loaf with a beautiful swirled pattern that's as visually stunning as it is delicious.

Fittingly, this month has been a series of ube (purple yam) recipes. My daughter has often been craving for "something with ube". After scrolling through her Instagram, she mentioned the different and unique types food dishes that incorporated ube (purple yam).

I started with ube mamon, ube crinkles, ube ice cream, ube cheesecake and now ube loaf. For this recipe, instead of using the fresh ube halaya that I've done, I wanted to try the purple yam powder. To start off, the purple yam powder has to be rehydrated. (See the link. )

I also added a teaspoon of ube extract, as the color from the ube powder is very light. You can add more of the ube extract or purple coloring to achieve a more uniformed colored dough. To achieve the swirl, follow steps 9-11.

This recipe requires moderate time and attention, as it involves yeast-based bread making with a multi-step process. You'll need to prepare the dough, allow it to rise, create the signature swirl by layering plain and ube-infused doughs, and then bake until golden brown. While it demands patience and some hands-on work—approximately 2-3 hours from start to finish—the process is straightforward enough for home bakers of varying skill levels. The result is well worth the effort: a show-stopping loaf that combines traditional Filipino flavours with modern baking techniques.