I've been on the hunt for the *perfect* Sweet Potato Pound Cake recipe fora while now. If you've been following me for any length of time, you probably know that I am always on #TeamSweet Potato, which means anytime I can incorporate sweet potatoes in a recipe, I will. For example, these cinnamon rolls.
Sweet Potatoes and Orange is a top tier southern flavor combination and when you add it with the ultimate southern cake: Pound Cake, well I don’t know how much better things can possibly get.
I recently discovered Belinda Smith-Sullivan a chef, food writer and spice blender that lives in my home state, South Carolina. I don’t know how I could possibly not know about her, but I was on Twitter one day and someone retweeted her latest book launch and I found myself immediately on Amazon one-clicking her book, Southern Sugar. Y'ALL. SHE HAS A WHOLE BOOK ABOUT PEACHES!!! But for now we’re going to focus on her gem of a recipe for a Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Disclaimer:
You are going to have to make sweet potato puree (click here for instructions) so this is going to require a little more planning. The cake itself comes together quite easily and the candied orange peels look super fancy, but are kind of easy to make once you get the hang of it.
Notable Equipment:
1 12-cup bundt pan; a stand or hand mixer
Notes About the Recipe
The original recipe calls for pecans. I omitted them because my daughter is allergic to nuts, but LOVES Pound Cake. I think they would add a wonderful crunch and flavor to the cake. You can add 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped pecans.
Normal cake rules apply: the butter, eggs and buttermilk need to be room temperature.
Spend the time making sure your bundt pan is well buttered, so that the cake slides right out.
The Orange Peels. This was my first time making candied orange peels, which should be obvious based on how large they are! Don’t be like me, make sure you slice them very thinly to get a curly rind instead of whatever is happening on mine. Also, buy extra oranges, just in case.
Recipe
Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Candied Orange Peel
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 16 servings
Description
A Sweet Potato Pound Cake spiced with cardamom and topped with an fresh orange glaze and candied orange peel.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pureed sweet potatoes
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoon cardamom
⅓ cup buttermilk, room temperature
Candied Orange Peels
1 large orange
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
Orange Glaze
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup orange juice
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamon. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, granulated and brown sugars together. Stir in the sweet potato puree and vanilla extract. Then mix one egg at a time until combined.
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Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk until well blended. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes– until a toothpick comes out clean.
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Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Then use a butter knife to loosen the edges on the bundt pan and turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Let cool.
Make the Candied Orange Peels
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While the cake is baking, cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Set aside for the orange glaze.
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Remove the pulp from the rind, slice the rind in the thin even strips.
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Fill a small saucepan with water and boil the rind for 15 minutes. Drain this water off. Using the same pan add 1 cup of water and 2 cups of granulated sugar. Add the sliced rind back to the pot and simmer on low for 45 minutes.
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Using a slotted spoon, remove the rind from the pot (try to remove as much water as possible). Toss the rinds in granulated sugar and lay it out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to dry. *note this part takes longer than you think.
Make the Glaze
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In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Assemble The Cake
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Move the cake to a cake plate. Gently drizzle the orange glaze over the cake and top with the candied oranges.
Notes
Store the finished cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Category: Cakes
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