Post #163: Walnut-Sweet Potato Coffee Cake

I love coffee cakes and I love sweet potatoes. Put the two together and it is sure to be a smash. I found this recipe in an old cookbook called Country Cakes by Lisa Yockelson. I just had to give it a try this Fall. I picked this book up earlier in the year at a secondhand book store. I paid $1.00 for it. It was in mint condition. I love older cook books. They have a lot of charm, frugal tips, and traditional recipes involving comfort foods, like coffee cakes.

Since yesterday was my baking day, I made several mini loaves using my Pampered Chef mini loaf stoneware pan. My sissy gave me this great present! I love using it, especially for baking presents! It really does a great job baking evenly and crisping the sides. I have never had a problem with my loaves releasing.

Here is what I baked up yesterday...

From sweetpot-pecan coffee cake

Here is the recipe:

WALNUT SWEET POTATO COFFEE CAKE Recipe

Sweet Potato Recipe Ingredients:

2 c. unsifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg  (I omitted this)

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (substituted in pecans, since I had no walnuts!)

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter,

melted and cooled

1/3 c. firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 c. granulated sugar

2 extra lg. eggs, at room temperature (used one very large egg and one large)

2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature (used whole milk)

2 tbsp. light cream, at room (used skim milk)

temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. finely grated orange rind

1 c. steamed and pureed sweet potatoes, at room temperature (steamed one large sweet potato in a colander over a pot of boiling water with a lid on top for 30 minutes on high. Peeled the skin off easily when it cooled a little to touch)

--CINNAMON-WALNUT TOPPING:--

2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut in

sm. cubes

4 tbsp. chopped walnuts (substituted granola for the nuts, since I ran completely out!)

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Lightly butter and flour a 10 x 3 3/4 x 3 inch loaf pan; set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger onto a large sheet of waxed paper. Place the walnuts in a small bowl and toss with 1 teaspoon of the sifted mixture. Stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon or flat paddle. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the milk, cream, vanilla, orange rind, and pureed sweet potatoes. Add sifted flour mixture and stir. Fold in the the floured walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

For the topping, put the butter cubes, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl. Crumble the mixture together with your fingertips until the butter is broken down into small bits. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake the cake on the lower-third level rack of the preheated oven for about 45-minutes, or until wooden pick comes out clean and dry when inserted in the middle. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Invert onto a second cooling rack, then invert again to cool right side up.

Serve the cake cut in medium thick slices.

While mine was a slight different version of the original, I think it still relayed all the flavors it was supposed to present to the palate! It is modestly sweet which makes it perfect with coffee and a little dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon! 

It is a more work than a typical coffee cake, but with pre-planning and preparation seems effortless.  I laid out all the ingredients that needed to be at room temperature in the morning and prepared the sweet potato while I was making breakfast. Then, I mixed all the ingredients in the afternoon.