Sweet Potato Layer Cake With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

SWEET POTATO CAKE WITH ORANGE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; line pans with wax paper, and grease paper.
• Dust with flour and shake out excess.
• Drain and press pineapple between paper towels to remove excess moisture; set pineapple aside.
• Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
• Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.
• Stir in reserved pineapple, sweet potatoes, and next 3 ingredients until blended.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Make frosting-.
• Peel orange sections, removing any bitter white pith.
• Process cream cheese and butter in a food processor just until smooth.
• Add 3 orange sections; process 20 seconds or until mixture is smooth (reserve remaining orange section for another use).
• Transfer cream cheese mixture to a mixing bowl; gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla.
• Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; garnish with candied pecans and orange zest, if desired.

SWEET-POTATO LAYER CAKE WITH ORANGE-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on small baking sheet. Roast potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Cool, peel, and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes; cool to lukewarm (reserve any remaining potatoes for another use). Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
• Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line pans with parchment. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Combine oil, 1 cup sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in 2/3 cup walnuts and 2/3 cup cranberries. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, scraping down bowl often. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla.
• Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Combine orange peel, 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, and 1/4 cup cranberries in small bowl. Stir to coat with sugar. Transfer to sieve; sift off excess sugar. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture decoratively atop cake. Chill until frosting sets, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)