Maple Sweet Potato Cake

 

Maple and Sweet Potato Cake.  Garrett McCord Whenever it starts getting a bit cool I roast sweet potatoes. They're an easy meal in themselves or perfectly fine for a side. Plus, roasting them is so easy. When I roast sweet potatoes I usually make a few extra than I need for that meal. The leftovers get mashed and then scuttled away in the freezer or fridge for future projects. Sometimes I use the mash for a sweet potato shepherd's pie topping, or swirl them into waffle or biscuit dough. However, one of my favorite uses is this crazy easy sweet potato cake. This cake take about 5 minutes of active work followed by 1 hour of baking. The result is a dense, sweet, earthy cake that easily beats out any pumpkin cake recipe you have. It's incredibly rich, and the maple and brown sugar give it a musky flavor. A pinch of cinnamon keeps it simple, but I've happily added ground mace, coriander, allspice, ginger, and even ground star anise for something truly elegant. Serve this plain as a snack or toast a slice before smearing it with butter. I've also used this cake in a trifle with pastry cream, bourbon, and candied cranberries. Lastly, I enjoy serving this with a little bit of black coffee or even a hot buttered rum. Related Sweet Potato Links: Perfect Roast Sweet Potatoes What's the Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes? History of the Sweet Potato in China Are Sweet Potato Greens Poisonous? 7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1/2 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup of pureed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup of olive oil 2 eggs 1/4 cup of maple syrup (Grade B, preferably) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes Total Time: 65 minutes Yield: 1 loaf cake Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray or lightly buttering and flouring it. 2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and sugars. Set aside. 3. Whisk together the sweet potato puree, olive oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture and stir together with a spoon until it just comes together. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve hot, warm, cool, or toasted.   http://produce.about.com/od/Fall-Produce/r/Maple-Sweet-Potato-Cake.htm