This is a fabulous holiday cake I initially made years ago for a coworker’s birthday. It was the first time I had ever tried my hand at making candied orange peel, which I discovered isn’t as difficult as you might think and adds dramatically to the presentation and taste.
It’s a cross between a spice cake and carrot cake in some ways, but has its own distinct flavor. The addition of the cranberries and walnuts add texture and color while the sweet potatoes make it moist.
The smooth cream cheese frosting with a hint of orange flavoring perfectly complements the cake.
This year it was an elegant addition to my Thanksgiving dessert buffet.
Sweet-Potato Layer Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting
(adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2001)
Yield: makes 10-12 servings
Cake
2 pounds tan-skinned sweet potatoes (about 3 medium)
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt (kosher)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2/3 cup plus ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup plus ¼ cup dried cranberries
Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 and ¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Decorative Topping
Reserved toasted walnuts and dried cranberries
¼ cup sliced candied orange peel (may be purchased or make your own)
3 tablespoons sugar
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on small baking sheet.
Roast potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Cool, peel and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes; cool to lukewarm (reserve any remaining potatoes for another use).
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line pans with parchment.
Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl.
Combine oil, 1 cup sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions.
Stir in 2/3 cup walnuts and 2/3 cup cranberries.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
Slide knife around pan sides to loosen; turn out cakes. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting over.
Tip: When frosting a cake slip pieces of parchment or waxed paper partially under cake and fully covering the platter so that any frosting or crumbs that fall will fall on the waxed paper. When finished frosting these papers can be pulled out gently leaving behind a clean platter on which the cake stands.
Top with second layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
For Frosting
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, scraping down bowl often. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla.
For Decorative Topping
Reserved toasted walnuts and dried cranberries
Combine orange peel, 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining ¼ cup walnuts, and ¼ cup cranberries in small bowl. Stir to coat with sugar.
Transfer to sieve;sift off excess sugar. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture decoratively atop cake.
If you choose to make your own candied orange peel, here’s the recipe I used for candied zest which comes from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
Citrus peel makes a flavorful and attractive decorative touch when cut into fine strips and sweetened in a sugar syrup. This candied zest is particularly suited to decorating a cake containing citrus fruit.
Candied Orange Peel (makes 1 cup)
Ingredients
3 large thick-skinned oranges
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
optional: 1 teaspoon grenadine syrup
With a small sharp knife remove strips of peel, avoiding the bitter white pith beneath. If any pith remains on the zest, scrape it away. Cut the peel into fine julienne strips.
Place in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer 15 minutes to soften and remove bitterness. Drain and rinse under cold water.
In the same saucepan combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stop stirring, add the zest, and cover tightly. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes without stirring or uncovering. Remove from the heat and cool, covered. To brighten the color, add the grenadine if you choose.
Refrigerate the candied zest in the syrup in an airtight container up to 1 month. When ready to use, drain the zest.
If you wish to use the syrup for cakes, add water to equal 1 and ½ times the volume of the syrup to dilute the sweetness and add an orange-based liqueur to taste.
Note: the corn syrup prevents crystallization of the sugar when the zest is added.