Ube Vegan Ensaymadas
 
Prep time
Cook time
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These ultra fluffy vegan buns known as ensaymadas are swirled with a luscious purple yam paste - almost too pretty to eat!
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Ube Jam
  • 1 cup grated ube, firmly packed (220g)
  • ¾ cup soy milk
  • ½ cup light coconut milk
  • ¼ cup white sugar
Dough
  • ¼ cup aquafaba
  • ¾ cup light coconut milk
  • 4 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2½ cups packed all-purpose flour
Frosting
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter, softened
  • ¼ cup vegan cream cheese
  • 2-3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Top
  • ½ cup grated vegan cheese, optional*
Instructions
The day before
  1. First, make the jam. Add all the ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour this out into a large saucepan and bring the liquid to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the bottom from catching and burning. When it looks reduced, thicker, and about half it's initial volume, pour it out into a container and leave it to set in the fridge overnight.
On the day of baking
  1. Place the aquafaba and coconut milk on the counter to come to room temperature before using. Alternatively, heat them both up in a saucepan over a very low heat until lukewarm. Do not heat them up too much though or this would kill the yeast.
  2. Place the warm coconut milk and aquafaba into a large bowl or stand mixer, and stir in the sugar, butter, and yeast. Leave for 5-10 minutes, or until frothy.
  3. Add the salt, and flour, and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Pour this out onto a well-floured countertop and knead for 5-7 minutes until it becomes a smooth, elastic ball (or knead in a stand mixer). Pop it back into the bowl and cover. Leave this is a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  4. When the dough is done proofing, grease 12 metal tart moulds (or grease a 12-hole cupcake pan - line if with cupcake wrappers if your cupcake mould tends to stick).
  5. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a well-floured countertop. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.
  6. Work with one portion at a time. Roll it out into a rectangle or oval, about ¼ inches thick. Spread a thin layer of ube jam on the surface, leaving a ¼ inch border (if you aren't using ube, just paint with some melted vegan butter). Roll the dough up from the longer edge, like a cinnamon roll. Pinch to seal the ends of the log, as well as the seam down the whole log. Roll it out a little so it elongates (about 6-7 inches long), then coil it up, and pop it into a greased mould. HERE is a video showing you how to roll it up.
  7. Repeat for the rest of the dough, then cover them again and let it proof a further 15-30 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven to 170C during the second rise.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes in the mould before removing them.
  9. Whisk up the ingredients for the glaze, and smear a little over each roll when they are ever-so-slightly warm, so the little bit of heat melts the glaze a little bit. If using grated cheese, add some to the top of each bun, using the glaze as a glue.
  10. Enjoy!
Notes
* While cheddar or a special edam is usually used to top these buns, you just need a mild-flavoured vegan cheese. Most vegan cheddars are mature and thus too strong to top these buns. I suggest using something like THIS VEGAN CHEESE.
Recipe by The Sasha Diaries at https://thesashadiaries.com/2018/05/10/ube-vegan-ensaymadas/