I’m too lazy to write a foreword for this, so I will keep it very short, sweet, and to the point. This cake was inspired by Momofuku Milk Bar, and I wanted to incorporate tropical ingredients, so that’s where the coconut, banana, and ube came from. I used blackberries as well, because they add a nice tartness that breaks up the three starchy components in the dessert. For the cake, I used the cake batter to create both the cake itself and mini cake doughnuts to garnish. Alright, that’s all I have to say about this. Go for it. Make it. Love it.

For the cake batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup ube paste
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup canola oil
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon purple food coloring

Whip the egg whites with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar until it reaches stiff peaks. Sift the dry ingredients. Combine together ingredients and allot 3/4ths of the batter to the cake, and transfer the remaining 1/4th of the batter to two piping bags.

For the cake, I used a shallow baking pan, about 9 x 13 inches, lined with parchment paper. The cake baked for 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.

For the doughnuts, I used mini doughnut molds, and dusted them with oil and flour. I piped the batter halfway up and baked them for 10 minutes at 350 degrees as well.

For the banana milk custard, using this recipe

For the ube crumble:
1 1/2 cups ube paste
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons powdered coconut milk
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons flour*

Combine ingredients together, sans flour. If the mixture is still watery, then add in the flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency of peanut butter. Spread onto a nonstick baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Break apart the crumble while it is still warm into the size of roughly a thumbnail.

For the blackberry reduction:
1 cup blackberries
2/3 cups water
a pinch of salt

Reduce down the mixture until the water turns a dark red color and strain, pressing against the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible.

For blackberry icing:
2/3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons blackberry reduction

Combine and dip the doughnuts into this immediately. Should the icing be too watery, ice the doughnuts and then bake them at 250 degrees F to help dry them faster.

For the haupia:
1 14oz can of coconut milk (NOT COCONUT CREAM, THAT SHIT IS DIFFERENT)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (bonus points if you use coconut sugar instead, but for the majority of us plebeians, granulated sugar will have to suffice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Whip together the ingredients, san vanilla, and then whisk over heat until the mixture thickens. Take off heat and add in the vanilla. Strain and chill down.

For assembly:
6 inch ring mold
parchment paper or acetate sheets
either a spoon that is bent or an offset spatula or butter knife

First use the ring mold to cut out two good looking rings of cake. Line the ring mold with either parchment or acetate. Crumble up the remaining bits of cake and press into the bottom of the mold. Soak with 1/3 of the blackberry liquid. Spread 1/2 of the banana custard, then the 1/2 of the crumble, then 1/3 of the haupia, then place on the first ring of cake. Then repeat, then press on the last layer. Soak it, spread on the haupia. Allow the cake to set in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Finally, garnish with the doughnuts.