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sweet potato cake: you'll never eat carrot cake again.

By on December 3, 2013
sweet potato cake

From Julie of By The Recipe.

Sweet potato pecan pie.

Sweet potato ice cream.

Sweet potato cupcakes.

Sweet potato muffins.

Sweet potato pie.

I decided on sweet potato cake.

I’m a little new to the world of sweet potatoes. Not brand new. But new considering how long I have been stomaching regular potatoes when I could have been enjoying sweet potatoes.

Growing up, I ate regular potatoes just because the were on my plate. Given the choice, I would not have them. Rarely was I given the choice.

Devastation ensued the day I found out that French fries were made from potatoes. How could that be. I really enjoyed French fries. I did not enjoy potatoes. I didn’t dislike them but I certainly didn’t miss them when they weren’t there.

Sweet potatoes never really hit my radar until restaurants started making fries out of them. I loved sweet potato fries. Still do.

Somewhere along the way I tried an actual sweet potato. Baked. Served with butter. A sprinkling of salt. Divine. A match made in heaven.

As much as I love sweet potatoes, I have never been able to imagine eating the ever popular sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top. Wonder what my little people would think of it? Hmmm. Might have to buckle and try it one day. Even to just say that I did.

I’ve noticed a lot of creative recipes on Pinterest lately involving sweet potatoes. Some call for the real deal, while others call for canned puréed sweet potatoes. In fact once recipe made me chuckle. Cupcakes. Called for a 1/4 cup of canned sweet potatoes. Only a 1/4 cup. What the heck is someone supposed to do with the other 2cups? I guess make the casserole with the marshmallows.

 

Sweet Potato Cake

I decided to use this recipe from smitten kitchen, however I am forgoing the marshmallow frosting and substituting a cream cheese frosting. I liked her recipe because it called for the real deal. And would use up my remaining sweet potatoes. It is unbelievably delicious and moist. Little boy person says it is beyond amazing. Beloved says you’ll never eat carrot cake again. Little girl person is stunned that she ate it, loved it and that there are sweet potatoes in it.

Cake

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 to 3 medium or 2 large)

2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon (more to taste) ground ginger

Two pinches (more to taste) ground cloves

1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar **I used dark brown sugar as that was what I had

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

125g Cream Cheese, softened (1/2 a brick)

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 Cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

 

Roast sweet potatoes: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Rest on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning once or twice, until soft. Let cool completely. Can be kept in fridge for up to 3 days, if baked in advance.

**I microwave my sweet potatoes. I stab each one with a knife, 2 or 3 times, place 4 sweet potatoes on a plate and microwave for 10 minutes. Let cool.

 

Make cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, then butter the paper and sides of the pan. [If you trust your nonstick pan, you might be able to skip the parchment, but I don’t like to live on the edge when it comes to getting cakes out of a pan.]

Peel cooled sweet potatoes and run flesh through a potato ricer, or mash until very smooth. (Do not blend in a blender or food processor.) Measure 1 1/2 packed cups (about 12 to 13 ounces) from sweet potato mash; you may have a little extra, which you should warm up with a pat of butter and sprinkle of sea salt and not share with anyone.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until just combined. Mix in sweet potato puree, then stir in dry ingredients just until they disappear.

Spread batter (I found the batter to be very, very thick…like a brownie batter) in prepared pan, and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake rest in pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, then invert onto cooling rack, and let cool completely. You can speed this up, as I always do, in the fridge.

 

Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add icing sugar, juice and peel, beating until well blended after each addition. Spread on top of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

 

Julie of By The Recipe says this about her food writing:

I’m not sure which came first: my sweet tooth, or my desire to bake.  Before I was a wife and a mother, I was a baker.  I love to bake.

Before kids, I wasn’t much of a cook. After kids, my cooking abilities improved, I guess because I needed to feed my family. Over the years I have come to enjoy cooking, almost as much as baking.  But let’s be honest, the best part of baking and cooking are the accolades of a great mouthful of food. That inspires me.

When I cook, I cook by the recipe. Almost always.

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