Oh, bundt cake. Dear, sweet bundt cake. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. The last to be invited to the party, but the guest everyone’s happiest to see. The truth is, bundt cake never really gets the respect it deserves. It’s easy to assemble, foolproof to bake (thanks to the even heat of the coated pan with a hole in the middle that ensures even cooking and always-done centers) and the finished product is pretty enough to make “middle of table” status at any big family dinner. Thanks to their intricate, delicate shape, bundt cakes (any bundt cakes!) deliver a polished, professional result that makes it seem like you spent hours baking, usually with just a few ingredients and a flourish of easy, drizzley finishing glaze.
If you haven’t baked with sweet potatoes before, this is a great recipe to start with. When used in baking, sweet potato purees lend an uncommon moistness to cakes and cookies, with little to no sweet potato flavor. Cooking with sweet potatoes is almost like cooking with pumpkin puree, in the way that even simple cakes and breads develop a silky, smooth texture that’s easy to eat and stays fresh for days.
Why else should you start baking with sweet potatoes? Sweet potatoes can be helpful to anyone experiencing lower gastrointestinal discomfort sometimes associated with chemotherapy or radiation treatments. A single sweet potato contains over 500% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A, is loaded with antioxidants and may even have specific anti-cancer effects. According to the National Institutes of Health, 80% of the protein in sweet potatoes is a type of protease inhibitor, which may have anti-cancer effects and suppress the growth of some types of cancer cells.
Sweet Potato Bundt Cake With Brown Sugar Maple Glaze
Serves 8
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 cup pureed sweet potatoes (1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and pureed)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 oz chopped pecans, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a bundt cake pan with butter, and set aside. In a large standing mixer or using a whisk, combine sweet potato, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract until incorporated. Then, add your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir until combined. Pour mixture into prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a clean plate to serve.
For the glaze:
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, butter, maple syrup and heavy cream. Heat slowly, stirring often, until sugar melts and mixture resembles a smooth caramel. Drizzle over finished cake and top with additional chopped pecans.