Shelly's Recipe

SWEET POTATO SPICE CAKE

Category: Cakes

1 tsp unsalted butter at room temperature, plus 1/2 lb (2 sticks)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs raw sweet potatoes)
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp fresh orange juice, or slightly more as needed
1 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat the oven to 325. Butter a 12-cup bundt pan with 1 tsp of the butter and set aside.

Cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add the sweet potatoes and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat after each addition.

Into a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the sweet potato mixture a third at a time. Fold in the nuts and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan.

While the cake is resting in the pan, in a bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Stir well to combine and make a tight glaze, adding more orange juice 1/2 tsp at a time to achieve a pourable consistency.

Turn cake out onto a wire rack. While the cake is still warm, drizzle the orange-sugar glaze to evenly coat. Cool completely before cutting.