Recipe: Sweet Potato Cake With Salted Cream Cheese Frosting
By Amanda Mack, courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine.
"During the holiday season, sweet potato is King!" says baker Amanda Mack, the owner of Crust by Mack in Baltimore. It stars in this deliciously moist cake, balanced with a hint of salted cream cheese frosting. Simple in design and traditional in flavor, this cake is ready for Thanksgivings of all sizes this year. If you prefer a less-sweet frosting, use 6 cups powdered sugar.
Sweet Potato Cake With Salted Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9"-diameter cake
Ingredients:
Cake:
1½ lb. sweet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed
Nonstick vegetable oil spray (for pans)
3¼ cups (374 g) cake flour, plus more for pans
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1½ cups (packed; 300 g) light brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
7 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature
Frosting and assembly:
2 16-oz. packages full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
8 cups (906 g) powdered sugar, sifted or whisked to remove lumps
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt
Long orange zest strips (for serving; optional)
Preparation:
Cake:
Step 1: Cook sweet potatoes in a medium pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until a tester inserted into centers meets no resistance, 40–45 minutes. Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove skins, transfer flesh to a medium bowl, and mash with a potato masher or fork. Let cool.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray three 9"-diameter cake pans with nonstick spray, then line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment and dust pans with flour, tapping out excess.
Step 3: Sift baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and 3¼ cups (374 g) cake flour into a large bowl (or just whisk to remove lumps). Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, oil, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and no lumps remain, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add eggs to sweet potato purée and mix well. Scrape into sugar mixture and beat to combine, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and with motor running, gradually add dry ingredients; mix just until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake until cakes are slightly risen, tops are set, and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25–30 minutes.
Step 5: Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool in pans 5 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of cakes and turn out onto racks. Remove parchment and let cool completely (rounded side down). Tightly wrap cakes individually in plastic and freeze until thoroughly chilled (this will make cakes easier to frost), about 2 hours.
Frosting and assembly:
Step 6: Beat cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on low speed 30 seconds (place a kitchen towel over bowl to capture any puffs of sugar). Increase speed to high and beat frosting 2 minutes. It should be thick and creamy.
Step 7: Place a cake, right side up, on a large plate or cake stand. Spread one third of frosting on top. Set another cake on top and frost with half of remaining frosting. Repeat process with remaining cake and frosting. For the cleanest slices, chill 3 hours before slicing. Top with orange zest strips just before serving if desired.
See also: