Meet the 2026 Ube Bake Off Bakers

The lineup is set. Four local bakers are bringing their best ube creations to 7 Mile House, and this year, you're the judge!

From Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, taste all four and vote for your favorite during Ube Bake Off Week.

This year's Ube Bake Off also kicks off Filipino American History Month at 7 Mile House, celebrating the Filipino food and culture we share here every day.

Here's who's competing this year:

Ava Marie Romero: Ube Cannoli with Hershey's Chocolate

A former champ is back. Ava Marie won the very first Ube Bake Off in 2019, and this year she's switching things up with an Ube Cannoli made with Hershey's chocolate. Her Italian-inspired creation is a nod to the Italian community of South San Francisco, where she lives, while still bringing a Filipino favorite into the mix. Ava has been cooking since she was 13 and has been part of the 7 Mile House community for years.

Rosalie: Gluten-Free Ube Cheesecake, "Ubelicious"

Rosalie is bringing her gluten-free White Chocolate Ube Cheesecake, "Ubelicious," combining ube and white chocolate with toasted coconut, finished with ube sauce and ube ganache. Rosalie is based in Concord, located inside Yummy Boba and More. She started her cheesecake business after years of making desserts for family parties, and two years later, she's doing it full time.

Lalaine Villamor: Ube Cassava Cupcakes

Lalaine's entry started at a family potluck. The plan was cassava cake, until she thought, "let's make it ube," and the Ube Cassava Cupcake was born. Lalaine is known for her savory cooking, including her veggie lumpia, and her Rosary Warriors group was already asking to order her ube creation before she officially entered the competition.

Kathy: Ube Coffee Crunch Cake

Kathy's moist ube cake is topped with ube whipped cream frosting and finished with coffee crunch, added right before serving so every bite stays crisp. Kathy calls it "coffee crack" for a reason. She's a home baker who loves making everything from carrot cake to sourdough.

HOW TO VOTE

No tickets needed. Just dine in anytime during Ube Bake Off Week (Sept. 30 to Oct. 5) and order the Ube Bake-Off Sampler, $20, dine-in only. You'll get all four competition desserts plus two ballots. Taste everything, vote for your favorite, and hand your ballots to your server.

The winner will be announced Oct. 8 at 7 Mile House and on our social media.

Want the full story behind the Ube Bake Off, past champions, and how it all started? Read more here.

How to Compete or Nominate a Baker

Know a home baker with an ube dessert worth sharing, or want to enter yourself? Fill out the nomination form here for info on how to compete in the 2027 Ube Bake Off.

More Filipino Food and Community Events at 7 Mile House

The Ube Bake Off is one part of what makes 7 Mile House a gathering place for Filipino food and Bay Area community events. Ube isn't just a once-a-year thing here either, see our year-round ube menu. If you're a fan of Filipino flavors and friendly competition, don't miss our Adobo Cookoff for a Cause, another annual event where local cooks compete with their own take on adobo, with proceeds benefiting a different nonprofit each year.