• Make a pan release grease by combining the ingredients in a small bowl and mix using a whisk or fork until smooth. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan that is at least 3-inch high or use 2 pans.
  2 tablespoons lard or shortening, 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons flour
• Preheat your oven to 300° F/150°C (conventional settings or no fan).
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  ½ cup butter, ½ cup vegetable or coconut oil, 1 cup sugar
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing them just until well blended after every addition. Then add the vanilla extract and ube food color or extract and mix.
  4 medium eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons Ube extract/food color
• Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. (Do not mix yet). Pour in the milk on top of the dry ingredients and beat on medium-low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
  3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup milk
• Take about ½ cup of the batter and divide into 2 muffin molds lined with cupcake liners. You can also use and small baking dish or mold. Add ube jam to the remaining batter and beat until combined.
  ¾ to 1 cup ube halaya or jam
• Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. If using 2 pans then divide the batter equally. Tap the sides and bottom with your hand to let trapped air out, if any.
• Bake for 50 mins-1 hour in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using 2 pans, it might be done in 20-30 minutes. The cupcakes will be done in 20-25 minutes. You can bake them together and just take out the cupcakes 20-25 minutes in.
• Let the cupcakes cool down a bit. Remove the liners and break it into chunks or crumbs using your hand. Then spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Once cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before completely removing it from the pan to a cooling rack. Now, put the sheet of crumbs and bake for 15 minutes. Take it out and let it cool down completely. Transfer to a food processor/blender and pulse several times to turn it into fine crumbs.
• Once the cake has cooled down enough, cut the cake horizontally in half if using a single pan. Let it cook down completely. Refrigerate if you are in a hurry.

PREPARE THE FROSTING

• Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed and pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl in a very slow and steady stream, stopping every now and then to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. When all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla extract, if using, and mix using a spatula.
  1 pack, ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 cups whipping/heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Take 1 ½ to 2 cups of the frosting and transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
• Add some drops of ube flavor/color in the remaining frosting and mix just until blended, it does not have to be completely blended or you might risk over-beating the cream and it will turn into butter. Transfer to a piping bag with a wide, flat tip.
  Drops of ube extract/color

ASSEMBLY

• Place the cake plate or cake board, if using, on a cake turntable. Pipe a bit of the purple frosting in the middle to keep the cake glued in position.
• Place the top part of the cake, top-side-down, on the center of the plate. Fill it with half of the white frosting from the middle going out. Then place the other half of the cake on top of it, with the nicer, and more even cut side up.
• Now, take the ube frosting and cover the sides by piping from the bottom going up while turning the cake around. Cover the top as well. It does not have to be perfect. Take a spatula and smoothen the frosting all over the cake.
• Take the cake crumbs and cover the cake completely.
• Pipe some rosettes on top from the remaining frosting.