White Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake
This lightly spiced sweet potato cake is layered with white chocolate mousse
and sprinkled with toasted macadamia nuts.
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3)
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
Unsalted butter, for pans
2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pans
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brandy
1 1/2 cups unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 pound white chocolate
2 cups heavy cream
1. Heat oven to 400�. Coat potatoes with 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and place on
baking sheet. Bake until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle,
remove skin, and mash flesh with a fork into coarse pur�e.
2. Lower oven temperature to 325�. Butter two 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans,
dust with flour, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until light
and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup vegetable oil; beat on medium
speed until well combined. Add the cooled sweet potatoes; mix until combined.
3. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix into
sweet potato mixture. Mix in vanilla and brandy until combined. Remove batter
from mixer; fold in 1 cup macadamia nuts by hand.
4. Evenly distribute cake batter into prepared pans, and transfer to the oven.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Let pans cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; cool
completely, about 1 1/4 hours.
5. Meanwhile, chop white chocolate into small pieces; set aside. Bring 1 cup
cream to a boil; pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Chill
for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. When chocolate mixture has cooled, pour remaining cup cream into an electric
mixer; whip on medium until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold whipped cream
into chocolate mixture until fully incorporated.
7. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, creating four layers. Spread 2/3
cup chocolate frosting on one layer, then stack next layer on top, and frost.
Repeat frosting-and-stacking process until each layer is frosted. Spread
remaining frosting on sides and top of cake. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup macadamia
nuts on top of cake, and serve. Serves 8 to 10
AUTHOR: Mai |