Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Day 84 

This week’s recipe is from my good friend and trusted cooking mentor, Deborah. She posted it for friends recently on Facebook, and she shared that she had great success with it. Her pictures and description made my mouth water, so I couldn’t resist giving it a try. Whenever Deborah posts a recipe and tries it, I know it will be one that I can use and trust.

Copyright, Doug Kapustin Photography, 2014

Originally, the recipe is from backroadsliving.com, where you can also find many other delicious dishes if you’re so inclined. This pound cake is dense, moist, and filled with the perfect blend of fall flavors. It’s a real must-try for this time of year!

I made my favorite caramel glaze to pour atop the cake, and you can decide if that’s something you want to add. The glaze recipe is below, in case you’re interested. Both Deborah and I agree that having a glaze really does enhance the cake’s flavor. 

Thanks, Deborah, for your friendship, your culinary expertise, and for your commendable Christian parenting to two of the best students I’ve ever had the pleasure of teaching! 

Sweet Potato Pound Cake 

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp mace (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon 
1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 
2½ cups sweet potato (cooked mashed)
4 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla
1½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 cup of Chopped Pecans

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and dust with flour a Bundt pan.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
In a large bowl, beat at high speed with electric mixer, the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

At low speed, add sweet potato and eggs one at a time until well mixed.

Beat flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture. Add vanilla and mix.

Pour batter into Bundt Pan. Add Pecans evenly on top of mix. 

Bake for approximately 45–55 minutes.  Cool in rack, pecan side up. Glaze if desired (see below).  Serve warm or cold and can be frozen.

Caramel Drizzle/Glaze:
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes before using. NOTE: Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it’s still HOT. *

*When cooled, the caramel does somewhat harden.