Sweet Potato Cake ~ The Cake Slice Baker’s Event!!!

This month I am pleased to reveal our second bake from ‘The Cake Slice Bakers! This is a new baking event hosted by two lovely ladies Giggi and Katie. The aims and objectives of this group are to bake a cake each month for a year from a selected book. This is a great event because reflecting on my cookbooks, somehow I never seem to work my way through them and only cook or bake certain things. The book we are baking from this year is, Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne. A fantastic book packed from end to end with lovely recipes and eye-catching pictures of gorgeous cakes to drool over.

This time around we chose to bake a Sweet Potato Cake. Being Halloween end of last month, this certainly was a fitting cake for this festivity. I was intrigued by the use of sweet potato in the recipe; on the other hand take for example cakes that have potato, carrots, pumpkin, and courgette in them, they are great flavoursome cakes so sweet potato must work in the same way or would it? Well having tried a slice of this cake I can vouch this is one scrumptious cake. The sweet potato wasn’t dominant and the wonderful spices bended through well, I am positive this cake is akin to carrot cake. I served my cake for Halloween dressed up in pumpkins I made from fondant icing and a few shop brought sprinkles; I didn’t want you to think here, oh she’s gone and lost her marbles and still celebrating Halloween lol.

I haven’t got x 3 -9 inch (23cm) cake tins so I used x 3 -8 in (20cm) cake tins instead without any problems of the mixture overflowing in the oven, (thank goodness!)

A must try cake you’d be surprised at its taste!

Sweet Potato Cake

Sourced from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne.

Makes a 9 in (23cm) triple layer cake, serves 16 -20 people. You will require x 3 -9 inch (23cm) cake tins.

Ingredients
2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (12 ounces)
3 cups of cake flour ** see below**
3 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
5 eggs, separated
2¼ cups sugar *I used caster sugar*
1 stick plus 2 tbsp (5 oz) of butter, at room temperature
1½ tsp of vanilla
1¼ cups of milk

**The recipe calls for cake flour and if you only have all-purpose (plain) flour on hand, you can substitute ¾ cup (105 grams) all-purpose (plain) flour plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch (cornflour)***

**If fresh potato is not available you could use canned sweet potato, yams or pumpkin puree**

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/fan oven 180°C/Gas mark 6. Prick the sweet potatoes in 2-3 places and place on a small baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C/fan oven 160°C/Gas mark 4. Butter the bottoms and sides of the pans and line with non-stick baking paper or greaseproof paper. Butter the paper also.
When the sweet potatoes are cool, peel off the skin and remove any dark spots. Cut the potatoes into chunks and puree in a food processor until smooth.

Measure one cup of potato puree and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves into a large bowl and set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer add the egg whites and attach the whip attachment. Beat on a medium speed until the egg whites are frothy, raise the speed to high and gradually beat in ¼ cup of sugar. Continue to beat until the egg whites are moderately stiff.

In another large bowl with a paddle attachment, combine the sweet potato, butter, vanilla and remaining sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after each egg yolk is added. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately in 2-3 additions, making sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients.

With a large spatula, fold in one fourth of the eggs whites into the batter to lighten. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Making sure to not over mix or this will deflate the batter. Divide the batter among the three pans equally.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn out the cake layers onto a wire rack and cool completely at least 1 hour.

To assemble the cake, place one layer flat side up on to a cake stand. With a pastry bag fitted with ½ inch round tip and filled with chocolate cream cheese icing, pipe a boarder around the edge of the cake. Fill the centre with orange cream filling smoothing it to the edge of the boarder. Place the second layer on top and repeat the process. Place the third layer on top and use all the chocolate cream cheese frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients
10 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick (4 oz) butter at room temperature
16 ounces of powdered (icing) sugar; sifted
1½ ounces of unsweetened chocolate melted and slightly cooled

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered (icing) sugar to cream cheese butter mixture. Making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then beat until fluffy 2-3 minutes.

Measure out 1 cup of frosting and set aside.

Add the melted chocolate to the remaining icing in the bowl and beat until well combined.

Orange Cream Filling

Ingredients
1 cup of reserved cream cheese icing from above
2 tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
¼ tsp of orange extract
***I added fresh orange juice and the zest of 1 orange due to unable to buy frozen orange juice concentrate***

Stir together all the ingredients until well mixed.

If you would like to view more Sweet Potato Cakes made by other members of The Cake Slice, then please visit our blogroll site: The Cake Slice Bakers!