So this is a Thanksgiving leftover post that happened a week late. Still, this sweet potato cake is worth the telling.
Mom makes sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving ever year and frankly, I think we’re all too concern with stuffing ourselves with, well, stuffing, to eat them. They end up as leftovers, which is all fine, except this year I just wanted them to be more than typical roasted sweet potatoes.
That goes to my first point: our Thanksgiving sweet potatoes are not casseroled. They are not marshmallowed or bruleed or any such thing. They are simply roasted with skin on, making them perfect for playing with in any way we choose, sweet or savory.
I don’t know why I decided to make these a cake other than I’ve just been in a baking mood. A good mood to be in this time of the year!
This goes to my second point: Because ’tis the season of baking, I didn’t want this cake to be too much. Therefore, I made it in a single layer cake. One layer of cake, one layer of frosting. Perfect for something sweet but not like, coma sweet.
This brings me to the third point: The frosting. It’s admittedly sweet. It is delicious though, and reminiscent of the frosting of my favorite pumpkin cookies. If you double the cake recipe to make an 8″ or 9″ two layer, don’t forget to double the frosting. The recipes comes to us all from Paula Deen, bless her heart.
And finally, my last point: I garnished this with sugared walnuts. Pecans would be lovely, so choose what you like. The trick with these is simple….I simply mixed them all up in the unwashed pan that I started my frosting in. The bits of caramely goodness remaining were just enough to give these nuts a little shine. And, bonus, no need to dirty up another pan!
Confession: I tried to cut corners while making this on my first go-round and let’s just say I accidentally broiled the cake. Inedible. Sigh. No one’s perfect and in 2020, I just shake my head, laugh and move on. Cheers!
Sweet Potato Cake
Sweet Potato Cake is topped with a delicious and easy brown sugar frosting and candied walnuts- a simple and delicious way to use leftover roasted potatoes.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 1 cup roasted sweet potatoes, mashed and skins removed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 TB heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- For the rest:
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan with parchment paper, oil or butter and a dusting of sugar. Set aside.
- Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the potatoes, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Add the spices, flour and baking powder and mix until all is well combined.
- Step 3 Pour into the prepared cake tin for approximately 30-35 until a cake tester comes out clean. Let sit in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Step 4 Once the cake has cooled, prepare the frosting (this is important- you want to make the frosting just before putting it on the cake or else it will harden). Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Step 5 Add the walnuts to the saucepan, and still them so they pick up whatever caramel is left in the pan. Remove to dry on a side plate.
- Step 6 To the frosting mixture, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer until it reaches a spreading consistency. Frost the cooled cake immediately, and top with the ‘candied’ walnuts.
