From Heartfelt Tribute to Culinary Triumph: An Interview with Ube Dessert Competititor Ruthie Wu

Ruthie Wu, the 2nd place winner of the Ube Dessert Competition 2.0, captivated the judges and audience with her delectable ube cheesecake, a creation born from a heartfelt tribute to her late mother. Ruthie, who found inspiration in her mother’s love for ube, melded her extensive experience in baking with a deep personal connection to craft her winning recipe. In this exclusive interview, Ruthie shares her journey from baking cakes for family and coworkers to overcoming challenges in perfecting her ube dessert, offering a glimpse into the passion and dedication that propelled her to victory. Join us as we delve into Ruthie’s background, her creative process, and her advice for aspiring bakers aiming to make their mark in the culinary world.

Ruthie Wu

What inspired you to participate in the Ube Dessert Competition, and how did you come up with your winning recipe?

My Mom's favorite was ube anything and I thought to pay tribute to her memory to enter the ube dessert competition. I've baked many different kinds of cheesecakes before and looked online for different recipes out there, melded my twist to it, and came up with the winning recipe.

Can you share a bit about your background and how you developed your passion for baking and creating desserts?

After I got married, I decided that I would focus my energies on celebrating my relative's birthdays and ventured into baking all different types of cakes and desserts. When I started working at USAA, we had a big team and celebrated birthdays as well. I volunteered to bake the birthday cakes for my teammates. I would ask each person what type of cake they wanted and bake it to their request. Over the years, I've learned what makes good recipes and that's why I was able to pick and choose to create the winning recipe for the ube cheesecake.

What challenges did you face while perfecting your ube dessert, and how did you overcome them?

When I did my test run baking the ube cheesecake, the ube ganache recipe made a lot and it was very runny. I had to reduce the amount of ube ganache I used for the final submission.

What advice would you give to aspiring bakers and chefs who want to enter culinary competitions?

I would say to just give it a go and try it out! You never know what you can accomplish until you try and see.

Besides ube, what are some of your favorite ingredients to work with, and why?

I feel that cheesecakes are something I've learned to perfect over the years so I'm always up for a challenge to bake new types of cheesecakes. Chocolate varieties or ones with alcohol are some I've tried and had successes with.

What are your plans for the future, and can we expect to see more ube creations from you?

I will surely keep baking and I'm not sure I have any inspiration yet to join the next competition. We'll see.

CONNECT WITH RUTHIE:

Website: linktr.ee/1blessedjourney
Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/ruthiewu