Sweet Potato Layer Cake With Spiced Pecan Buttercream Recipes

SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine shortening, vegetable oil, and flour in a bowl; mix very well. Brush two 9x9-inch cake pans with the mixture. Reserve remaining mixture for future baking.
• Beat sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.
• Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add to the sugar mixture gradually, mixing constantly to prevent lumps. Stir in sweet potatoes. Fold in chopped pecans. Divide batter between the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make the frosting while cakes are cooling. Combine confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and allspice in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy.
• Place 1 cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Cover with frosting. Add second cake layer. Frost the top and sides. Sprinkle pecans on top.

SWEET POTATO LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sweet potato, water and vanilla. , In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; fold into the sweet potato mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to potato mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Pour into three greased and lightly floured 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake at 350° for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks. , For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk the sugar, milk and eggs yolks until smooth. Add butter; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Transfer to a small bowl; cool for 10 minutes. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the frosting. Repeat layers.

SWEET AND SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the agave, pepper, salt, allspice and sugar. Add the pecans, tossing to coat well. Spread the pecans in a shallow baking pan and bake in the middle of the oven 15 to 18 minutes. Stir and bake 7 minutes more. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and let cool. When cool enough to handle, break apart the pecans.
• What Makes This Recipe Really Sing: The sweetness of the agave and the strong pepper taste makes this a perfect cocktail nut. These also freeze beautifully. Make a double batch and when people just pop over you have a hidden treasure in the freezer for them.

SWEET POTATO AND SPICED PECAN SOUP WITH CHIVE CHANTILLY

Steps:

• Stir the hot sauce, Worcestershire and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Add the pecans and toss to coat. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan.
• Bake at 250 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the pecans are toasted. Let cool.
• Heat the butter in a 6-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are tender.
• Add the broth, bay leaves, remaining black pepper and potatoes. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Add 1 cup cream and heat through. Discard the bay leaves.
• Place one-third of the broth mixture in an electric blender container or food processor work bowl. Cover and blend until smooth. Repeat with the remaining broth mixture. Return to saucepot and heat through. Season to taste.
• Prepare the Chive Chantilly. Serve the soup with Chive Chantilly and sprinkle with the pecans.
• TIP: Chive Chantilly: Beat the remaining heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in the chives.

SPICED SWEET-POTATO CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR ICING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Pierce sweet potatoes with fork. Microwave on high until very tender, about 8 minutes per side. Cool, peel and mash sweet potatoes.
• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then generously butter pan. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Measure enough mashed sweet potatoes to equal 2 cups. Transfer to large bowl. Add sugar and oil to sweet potatoes; using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until blended. Beat in vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pan and center tube to loosen cake. Turn out onto rack; cool completely.
• For icing:
• Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Stir brown sugar, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes, occasionally stirring and swirling pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour brown sugar mixture over powdered sugar. Whisk icing until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Cool icing until lukewarm and icing falls in heavy ribbon from spoon, whisking often, about 15 minutes. Spoon icing thickly over top of cake, allowing icing to drip down sides of cake. Let stand until icing is firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

CITRUS-KISSED SWEET POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of 2 greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil, eggs and orange zest until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, pie spice and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture. Stir in sweet potatoes., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, orange zest, lemon juice and extract until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Decorate with orange peel. Refrigerate leftovers.

PECAN SWEET POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: set an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat oven to 350°; butter three 8-inch round cake pans; line them with parchment or wax paper cut to fit; then butter the paper; dust all over with fine dry bread crumbs, invert the pans over paper and tap gently to shake out excess; set aside.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, and nutmeg; set aside.
• In a big bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil just to mix.
• Add in egg yolks; beat to mix.
• On low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the boiling water and vanilla in two additions; remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside.
• Note: to prepare the potatoes-peel them and then grate them on the fine grater of a food processor or with a hand-held grater set over a piece of foil; use the side of the grater that has small, round-not diamond-shaped-openings; measure 2 cups tightly packed.
• Stir the potatoes and then the pecans into the batter.
• In a small bowl of an electric mixer (with clean beaters), beat the whites until they hold a straight shape when the beaters are raised, but are not stiff or dry.
• Without being too thorough, fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites, handling as little as necessary until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
• Bake the three pans on the same oven rack for 30-35 minutes, until the cakes barely begin to come away from the sides of the pan (these layers might not spring back when pressed with a fingertip, even though they will be done).
• Cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes; then cover each pan with a rack, turn the pan and rack over, remove the pan and paper lining, cover with another rack, and turn over again, leaving the layers right side up to cool.
• When you are ready to ice the cake, place four 12x4 inch strips of parchment or wax paper in a square pattern around the sides of a large cake plate; place one layer on the plate.
• Stir the apricot preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat to melt.
• Then press through a strainer; with a teaspoon or pastry brush, spread the first cake layer with 1/3 of the preserves; reserve the remaining preserves.
• Icing: add the sugar, cream of tartar, and water in a 6-cup saucepan; with a wooden spoon stir over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.
• Cover airtight and let boil 3 minutes (this keeps the steam in the pot and dissolves any sugar crystals that cling to the sides).
• Uncover and insert a candy thermometer; increase heat to high and let boil, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 242°.
• Shortly before the sugar syrup is done (or when the thermometer registers about 236°--soft ball stage), add the salt to the egg whites in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until the whites are stiff (if the sugar syrup is not ready, turn the beater to lowest speed and let it beat slowly until the syrup is ready; or you can let the whites stand, but no longer than necessary).
• When the syrup reaches 242°, turn the mixer to high speed and gradually add the syrup in a thin stream (it may be easiest if you pour the syrup into a pitcher and add it from the pitcher).
• Then continue to beat at high speed, scraping the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula, for about 5 minutes or until the icing is quite thick and stiff (if necessary, beat some more; the icing may still be warm when it is used).
• Add the vanilla and almond extract a minute or two before the icing is stiff enough.
• Spread the first cake layer with icing about ½ inch thick.
• Place the second layer over it and spread with 1/3 of melted apricot preserves, and then cover it with a layer of icing about ½ inch thick.
• Cover with the third cake layer and the remaining preserves.
• Now, it is best to ice the sides first; use a long, narrow metal spatula to ice the sides, thinly at first, and then build it up until it is about ½ inch thick, or thicker.
• Smooth the sides; use the remaining icing on the top; spread it smooth.
• After the sides and the top are smooth and even, then, with the back of a teaspoon or with the spatula, form swirls and peaks evenly on the top of the cake.
• To coat the sides with the coconut, first spread out the coconut the length of a foil or wax paper next to the cake plate.
• Take a handful of the coconut in the palm of your hand and turn your hand to place the coconut on the sides of the cake, starting at the top and working your way down.
• When much of the coconut falls onto the plate, remove it with your fingers and replace it either on the cake or on the pile of coconut on the paper.
• Then, use a long, narrow metal spatula to pick up the coconut that has fallen to the plate and return it onto the sides of the cake.
• Finally, fold the paper strips around the bottom up against the cake, and the coconut that has fallen to the strip will stick to the base of the cake; last, sprinkle all the remaining coconut over the top.
• Remove the paper strips by pulling each one slowly and gently toward a narrow end.
• Since the cake is so high, use a long-bladed knife to cut it and dinner plates to serve it on.