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sweet potato cake

Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Sweet Potato Cake
  • 2 cups light brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup sweet potato puree about 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • 8 egg whites
  • 3 cups dark brown sugar packed
  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Brown Sugar Pecan Crumble
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans chopped
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter melted

Method
 

Cake Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease three 8-inch pans and line with parchment paper.
  2. To make the sweet potato puree, peel and dice the sweet potatoes.  Bring a pot of water to boiling and place sweet potatoes in boiling water.  Let boil 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.  Drain, and mash with a fork or a potato masher.  Alternately, you can pulse sweet potatoes in a food processor.  Try to get them as smooth as possible.
  3. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  Set aside for later.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar.  Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and sweet potato puree.
  5. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Evenly disperse the cake batter among the three pans.  Bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
  1. Place egg whites and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Place the bowl of a stand mixer over a pot of boiling water.  Whisk constantly until a candy thermometer reads 240°F.  Remove from double boiler and wipe the bottom of the stand mixer.  With the whisk attachment, beat the egg and sugar mixture on high speed until the bowl is cool to the touch.
  2. Switch to the paddle attachment and add butter in cubes.  If the mixture breaks, continue to beat on high speed until mixture comes back together.  Add in vanilla and salt.
Crumble Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crumble.
Assembly
  1. Spread a layer of frosting on top of one cake layer and evenly spread a layer of crumble on top of the cake.  Repeat this process twice.
  2. Frost the sides of the cake and enjoy!