SWEET POTATO CINNAMON CAKE adapted from 300 Best Potato Recipes

• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil or light olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups shredded sweet potatoes
• 1 cup canned crushed pineapple, well-drained (or use finely-chopped fresh pineapple)
• 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped toasted or untoasted walnuts* (see toasting tips below—I didn’t toast mine)
• Optional: additional walnuts for sprinkling on top of the cake

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 10 ounces plain cream cheese (not light or whipped), softened
• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or one 13 x 9-inch cake pan; set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice until blended. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until blended and no traces of flour are visible. Stir in sweet potatoes, pineapple, coconut, and walnuts.

Evenly divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto rack. Cool completely.

While cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar about 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until just firm enough to spread. Transfer one cake layer to a cake stand or platter. Spread almost half of the icing over the top, smoothing to the edges. Top with second cake layer, then spread the rest of the frosting on top.

Tips on toasting walnuts: Toasting the nuts in a dry skillet gives them a nice crispness—be careful not to burn them, since they take very little time to toast. Add the nuts to a skillet over medium heat, and cook, stirring for 6 to 8 minutes or until fragrant. Or, oven-toast nuts on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven for just a few minutes.

Recipe adapted from 300 Best Potato Recipes | nancy-c.com