SWEET POTATO CAKE

Sweet Potato Cake – a sweet potato cake with marshmallow frosting, drippy maple glaze, chopped pecans and cinnamon.[post_ads_2]

The food world has a serious love affair going on with sweet potatoes. And why not, they’re delicious and healthy and everything you want a super food to be. Stepping in as a healthy alternative in just about every recipe you can image. From sweet potato fries to sweet potato chili, sweet potato burgers – they’re baked, boiled, mashed and smashed! One quick Pinterest search and you’ll have a plethora of ways to eat more sweet potatoes!

But then the holidays approach and sweet potato casserole comes to town, with its toasted marshmallow topping, masquerading as a healthy side dish.  But we all know the truth. It’s time for sweet potato casserole to step out into the light for what it truly is – a dessert. Only then can it live up to its full dessert potential! So today we’re giving it a not-so-gentle nudge into the sweets column with this cake. Yes, today’s cake takes all of the flavors from this classic side dish but we’re subbing cake pans for casserole pans and adding a hefty dose of THIS….

It all starts with the browned butter. From there we’re adding creamy sweet potatoes, cinnamon and brown sugar to create a tender cake filled with all the flavors you love. Marshmallow fluff gets whipped up into a dreamy, creamy frosting that’s swirling around – only to find itself drowning in a glistening, drippy maple glaze. Small dollops of frosting add some texture while a sprinkle of chopped pecans and a dusting of cinnamon complete the yum.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter birthdays – whatever the occasion – this sweet potato cake will happily join in the celebration.

SWEET POTATO CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOW & MAPLE

a recipe by Carrie Sellman[post_ads_2]

For the Sweet Potato Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 ½ cups unsalted butter, melted and browned, bits included

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

1 ¼ cup packed light brown sugar

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

22 ounces canned sweet potatoes puree

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and lightly flour three 8″ round pans. Line with parchment paper circles.
2. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns brown. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
4. In large bowl combine browned butter (including any brown bits on the bottom of pan), granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla bean paste.  Whisk until combined.
5. Whisk in dry ingredients, adding in two batches.
6. Add sweet potato puree and mix well.
7. Divide batter evenly between the three 8″ round pans.
8. Bake for 32-36 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
9. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

For the Marshmallow Buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup salted butter, softened

16 ounces marshmallow fluff

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1. In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and marshmallow fluff on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
2. Add in confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing and scraping bowl as necessary.
3. Add milk and continue to mix on medium speed 3-4 minutes until fluffy.

For the Maple Drip Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

4 teaspoons milk

½ teaspoon maple extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons light corn syrup, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Use immediately.

For the Assembly:

Chopped pecans

Cinnamon

Once the cakes have cooled, trim off the top so that they are level.  Place one layer of cake onto serving plate or cake stand and top with one cup of marshmallow frosting.  Repeat with second cake layer, more frosting and then last layer of cake.  Crumb coat cake and refrigerate 10 minutes until set. Frost the cake and smooth the sides and top, reserving about ½ cup frosting, for garnish. Using the tip of a spatula, create swirls on sides, if desired.  Make glaze and drizzle over the top with small drips overflowing the edge. (Find more tips for pretty drips here). Wait 5 minutes for the glaze to set up a tad. Using a large round tip, pipe dollops of frosting on top of the set glaze, sporadically but in a circular form. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and a light dusting of cinnamon to finish.

NOTES:[post_ads_2]

1. Maple glaze should be thick yet pourable so that it flows down the side of your cake with a little resistance. Unsure if your glaze is the right consistency? Set a small bowl upside down on a larger plate and do a test drizzle onto the bowl. If it is too thick and doesn’t drip down the side, even with some assistance, add a few more drops of milk to loosen the glaze. If it is too thin and runs right off the side of the bowl and pools onto the plate beneath, add a little more confectioners’s sugar to thicken the glaze. Find more tips for pretty drips here.

2. Maple glaze should be used right after whisking, as it will harden as it dries. If needed, cover bowl of prepared glaze with a damp paper towel to prevent it from setting. Whisk again before using.

3. Milk can be substituted for the light corn syrup in the maple glaze, if desired. However the glaze will not have the same shine.

Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator.  

Courtesy: The Cake Blog