Pan Release Grease: In a small bowl, combine lard or shortening, oil, and flour. Mix until smooth. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan (20 cm) that is at least 3 inches high or use 2 pans.

Preheat Your Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) using conventional settings (no fan).

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, oil, and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

Add Eggs and Flavoring: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until well blended after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract and ube food color or extract and mix.

Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt (do not mix yet). Pour the milk on top of the dry ingredients and beat on medium-low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Create Ube Batter: Take about ½ cup of the batter and divide it into 2 muffin molds lined with cupcake liners (or use a small baking dish). Add ube jam to the remaining batter and beat until combined.

Baking: Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. If using 2 pans, divide the batter equally. Tap the sides and bottom of the pans to remove trapped air. Bake for 50 minutes to 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. Cupcakes will be done in 20-25 minutes. You can bake them together and remove the cupcakes after 20-25 minutes.

Prepare Cake Crumbs: Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly. Remove the liners and break them into chunks or crumbs using your hands. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it to a cooling rack. Put the sheet of crumbs back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After cooling down, transfer the crumbs to a food processor or blender and pulse several times to turn them into fine crumbs.

Prepare Frosting: In a large bowl, place the cream cheese and powdered sugar, and beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl in a slow, steady stream, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Once all the cream has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until the frosting holds stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla extract, if desired.

Assemble the Cake: Place the cake plate or cake board on a cake turntable. Pipe a bit of the purple frosting in the center to secure the cake’s position. Place the top part of the cake (top-side-down) in the center of the plate. Fill it with half of the white frosting, starting from the middle and moving outward. Place the other half of the cake on top, with the nicer, more even-cut side up. Use the ube frosting to cover the sides by piping from the bottom going up while turning the cake around. Cover the top as well; it doesn’t have to be perfect. Use a spatula to smooth the frosting all over the cake. Cover the cake completely with the cake crumbs. Finish by piping some rosettes on top using the remaining frosting.