KAMUSTA (HELLO) SPRINKLERS!

The Philippines is a super interesting country 🌴 It is made up over 7,000 islands and is home to over 170 different dialects, not to mention, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

So, what new recipe are we following today??

Ube cake is a delicious Filipino mamón, or sponge/chiffon cake, that can be fluffy (or dense!), moist, and best of all…PURPLE! The Ube cake is made with Ube halaya, or mashed purple yams, which is why the cake has this beautiful & bright purple color when you cut into it 💜

We haven’t had any cake requests for Ube cakes so far, but we can’t wait to bake it for our kiddos!

Check out some of the Ube cakes we found on the internet :) (Source: Google Images)

Yummy in our tummy! Let’s take a larger look at its importance!

WHAT’S IT LIKE IN AMERICA?

In 2019, over 4 million people living in the U.S. identified as Filipino. Some areas have much higher Filipino populations including:

Los Angeles: 506,000
New York: 236, 000
Las Vegas: 147,000
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA: 136,000

Look familiar? We have 6 For Goodness Cakes Chapters in these areas! 💜🎂💜

HOW DOES THIS FIT INTO THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM?

In 2019-2020, 0.3% of all children entering the foster care system identified as Filipino, which is approximately ~1400 mga bata (children).

Why is this important to know? Because cultural identity plays a huge factor into our youth’s self esteem. Imagine entering into the foster care system as an 8-year-old and taken into a family where absolutely nothing is the way you’ve learned how to exist and function! The way the family cooks is different, whether or not you are allowed to wear shoes in the house, the way they communicate their feelings, the language barrier, even the way you’re told to bathe or use the toilet. This re-learning and “outsider” feeling can promote confusion and emotional unease on top of the added ‘capital-T’ Trauma that our vulnerable youth are already experiencing.

Jess, our Co-Founder and CMO shares,

“I was born in America and have a “third-world” immigrant Filipino mother and a “first-world” American caucasian father – my mom raised us pretty traditionally Filipino though my siblings and I never learned Tagalog. It wasn’t until I was 17 that I learned from a high school friend that I had been using the bathroom “incorrectly” per American standards. I just didn’t know!

If I had to acclimate to a different culture/household at the drop of a hat like a lot of the youth in foster care when I was younger, I would definitely have a ton of stress, grief, discomfort, embarrassment, and anxiety. I mean – I had some anxiety about just using the toilet for a few months after I learned that tidbit from my friend!

I’m 32 now, and there is a lot of stuff I learned from my Filipino upbringing that clashes with modern American culture. But I like how I live, so there are a lot of things I haven’t chosen to acclimate for American living/standards, and that’s a-okay with me! Because I’m bi-racial and raised on two vastly different socio-economic perspectives, I don’t fit 100% into my social circles where I live in San Francisco and it makes it a bit more fun but also challenging at times, even in my 30s.”

Take a deeper look into the importance of cultural identity by reading Supporting Cultural Identity for Children in Foster Care by AmericanBar.org.

SO - WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Things we can do as resource families and the general public is to learn about each others’ cultures and provide some welcoming cultural knowledge to make everyone feel right at home (or at least, a little bit at home!) 🤗

Maybe that looks like learning how to cook the culture’s comfort food – We like to think that food (& 🍰 ) is the 6th love language!

Filipino comfort food can be:
• pansit (a noodle stirfry)
• lumpia (a flavorful springroll-like dish)
• chicken adobo (a delicious seasoned meat dish, serve over rice!)

And to go above-and-beyond, learning how to say a few phrases can add +1000 brownie points to making someone feel seen and recognized!

In tagalog, one of the Philippine’s main dialects, that’s:
Kamusta (Ka-moo-stah) - Hello
Mahal Kita (Ma-hall key-ta) - I love you
Salamat (Sah-lah-mat) - Thank you

What a wonderful way to explore new cultures through connecting with food and language 💖 and welcoming in new experiences and people into our lives :)

18 Year Old Birthday Party in the Philippines — **The ornate celebration of a Debut party!**
*Kasal.com*

FUN FACTS

Not only is Ube cake a tasty treat, but there are also many health benefits to eating it! Ube is rich in antioxidants, a great source of vitamins & potassium, improves gut health, and helps with cognitive & motor function. Delicious and nutritious 😋

Similar to a Mexican Quinceañera, an extra sweet birthday in Filipino culture is when girls turn 18 and have a big “coming of age” party called a debut 🎉🎉🎉 At this celebration the birthday girl is given 18 roses from her male friends🌹, 18 candles from her female friends🕯️, or 18 treasures/gifts from her family and friends 🎁. Other special birthdays in the Philippines are 1st, 7th, and 21st birthdays (for boys).

If you want to wish someone a happy birthday, say
Maligayang kaarawan! (Mah-li-gai-yang Ka-ar-a-wan)

Filipino birthday celebrations are huge gatherings with all of the extended family and LOTS of food…often potluck style where each guest brings a dish, yum 🤤. There is usually karaoke 🎵 and a pabitin, a Filipino piñata made with bamboo and tassels tied with treats & toys 🪅. Pabitin means “rack of goodies” and is a fun game played at birthday parties. During this game the kids jump and try to grab as many prizes as they can while the pabitin is being lowered & lifted…how fun!

A Pabitin! — **A pabitin ready for a party**
*Joanna Lizares*

Christmas in the Philipppines! — **Christmas in the Philippines**
*Clickthecity.com*

If you haven’t noticed yet, Filipinos absolutely LOVE to party and loooove their holidays! It’s one of their main ways to stay connected with friends and family.

The majority of Filipinos are Catholic or Christian, so the Christmas/holiday season for them actually starts in September and runs all the way through the New Years. ‘Tis the season(s)! 🎁🎁🎁

DIVERSITY IS AWESOME!

For Goodness Cakes staff who identify as either part or full Filipino :) 🇵🇭

UBE CAKE RECIPE

Ube Cake Video made by Sprinkler Baker Renee!

** Please remember to mask up when baking cakes for our Sprinkly Kiddos and Young Adults **

Ube Jam
4 tbsp dehydrated Ube powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
4 tbsp evaporated milk
4 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or Ube extract

Cake
Dry Ingredients
1 1/4 cups of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt

Wet ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup of sugar
1 room temperature egg
1/2 cup Ube halaya or homemade Ube jam
1 cup of evaporated milk
1/4 cup of vegetable or canola oil
1-2 tsp of Ube or vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick of butter
1 brick (8oz) of cream cheese
1 tbsp of vanilla
4 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

Ube jam, or Ube Halaya can be found in asian markets and online. If you cannot find it, here is a recipe to make it yourself using dehydrated Ube, which can also be found online.
To make the Ube jam
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat, and whisk in the dehydrated Ube powder. Allow to sit for 20 min so the Ube can rehydrate.
After 20 min, bring the water and rehydrated Ube to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add evaporated milk, condensed milk, and either vanilla or Ube extract. Stir until incorporated.
Put the saucepan back onto the heat and boil for another 10+ minutes, stirring often, until the purple yam jam reaches a thick jam or applesauce-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool completely before adding to cake.
To make the Ube cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 6 or 8 inch round cake pans.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients and set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to your mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until combined and creamy.
Add the Ube jam, milk, egg, oil, and extract to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until combined.
Add half of the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and stir by hand until no streaks of flour remain.
Pour the batter evenly into two cake pans and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make cream cheese frosting
In a clean mixing bowl, add room temperature butter and cream cheese, stopping to scrape the sides of your bowl occasionally. Once combined, add your vanilla extract and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and desired consistency.
Once your cakes are cool, add about ⅓ of the cream cheese frosting between your layers and use the remaining frosting to the tops and sides of your cake.
Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Cut your butter/cream cheese into chunks to encourage them to soften faster.