Hey everyone! I joined a new (to me) blogging group. This one is all about cake and I just so happen to love cake, so I was definitely an easy convert. Each year they pick a cake based cook book. The administrator picks four recipes from the book each month and everyone bakes one of the four. Everyone reveals what they made on the 20th of the month. I can't wait to see what everyone picked and how different they all look!
Right now the group is baking from the Southern Living Cake Book. I couldn't help myself when I saw the sweet potato baby cake option. This time of year our focus always turns to apples and pumpkin. I love sweet potatoes too though! I love them roasted, mashed, baked, candied, and souffleed. I have never had a sweet potato cake though. I knew I would love it. Luckily we had a nice cool weekend last weekend. Perfect for baking with sweet potato, ginger, cinnamon and caramel!
The cakes turned out super moist with a great crumb. Pops and I both thought you could really pick out the sweet potato flavor, K.C. wan't so sure. All of the plates were licked clean with no complaints though, so that is a win! The caramel sauce was a perfect compliment to the warm flavor of the cake. I was surprised to see the instant coffee in the caramel recipe. It really did add a nice depth of flavor without really tasting like coffee. It also deepened the color a bit, which was nice. It was a very tasty treat to be sure!
Baby Sweet Potato Cakes with Sticky Caramel Sauce
From: Southern Living
makes 12 cakes
makes 12 cakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 16 oz. can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a muffin tin
- Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated.
- Add vanilla, salt, ginger, cinnamon and sweet potatoes. Beat until smooth. Stir in buttermilk.
- Mix flour and baking soda together. Stir into wet mixture until just combined.
- Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each hole 2/3 full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from pan.
- To make the sauce, place butter and sugar in a saucepan and warm over medium heat until completely melted and sugar dissolves. Whisk in cream and instant coffee. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool some before serving.
- Serve each cake with a couple of tablespoons of sauce. Best served warm with some homemade vanilla ice cream!
Welcomed to our group Carlee!
ReplyDeleteStepping out of the box and trying new recipes I normally would not encounter is exactly why I joined this group! I love being challenged and have learned many new techniques and have enjoyed many extrodinary cakes!
Your mini cakes look delicious! Paired up with ice cream and the caramel drizzle was a guarantee for no complaints! Lovely!
Welcome again!
Thank you! They really were a hit. I have never baked a sweet potato confection like this before, so it really was a lot of fun!
DeleteI'm so glad to have you in our group Carlee, I can't wait to see what you choose each month. This bake was my second choice after the once I choose. I've only baked with Sweet Potato once but I sure loved it. These cakes look wonderful and I'm pleased you and your family enjoyed them :) Laura@ Baking in Pyjamas
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting my join! This was a lot of fun for me to bake as I have never made a sweet potato dessert before and I love sweet potatoes! I am excited for this group to expand my baking experience!
DeleteHappy you have joined our group Carlee and you chose a lovely recipe for your first one. Those cakes are so cute and look just perfect with the sauce and ice cream. Clean plates are always a compliment.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to have inspiration. Choosing what to make is usually one of the hardest things for me, so having a limited range of options is perfect!
DeleteWhat cool cakes! Thanks for sharing your recipe at the #AnythingGoes Link Party.
ReplyDeleteThank you, it was fun to try baking a cake with sweet potatoes! Thank you so much for hosting!
DeleteCarlee! Welcome to our little group of cake bakers! The sweet potato cakes came out lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It was so much fun to do this first post. I can't wait to see what is in store in the next book!
DeleteHi Carlee it's a pleasure to meet you and welcome to the group. I am a sweet potato fan as well and I love how perfectly your little cakes are shaped. Can't wait to see what you choose next month!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I am excited to join the group and see what is in store in the coming months!
DeleteThis is such a neat recipe! YUM!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks for hosting, this recipe was definitely a fun one to try!
DeleteHi Carlee,
ReplyDeleteWow I never had a sweet potato cake before and thanks for this nice recipe.
Thanks for sharing this at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Julie
It was a first for me too, that is why I was so excited to try it! I think I am going to like how this new group pushes me!
DeleteI've not participated with the Cake Slice Bakers, but I always love seeing what is being baked. Your cakes sound perfect, and topped with a caramel sauce? Oh my!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you serving them with vanilla ice cream. You just can't go wrong with this!
They were really good! It was fun to try something that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. The next book looks like it is really going to expand my baking horizons. I am a little bit nervous and really excited!
DeleteI like the incentive of some of the baking/cooking groups we get involved in. They make us break out of our comfort zone and try new things!
DeleteI am sure you will do great with the new book :)
It is a lot of fun. Plus, I like having some direction every once in a while. Sometimes it is hard to decide what to make next, so it is nice to be told!
DeleteWhat an interesting recipe. I don't think you can go wrong with anything caramel tops! Pinning for the future. I'll have to check out this group!
ReplyDeleteI agree! This was a really fun fall recipe. I am glad I joined the group so far, I think it is really going to push my cake baking horizon!
DeleteYour recipe for Baby Sweet Potato Cake with Sticky Carmel Sauce looks and sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop! I hope you’ll join us again next week!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
Thank you so much! It was so much fun to do something a little different than normal. Plus the new group gives me an excuse to bake more cakes!! See you next week!
DeleteI need to make this asap! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can't wait to see you next week!
ReplyDeleteit was a lot of fun to make these. I can't wait to see what is in the new book!
DeleteI love Southern Living recipes, these little sweet potato cakes sound wonderful, perfect for fall! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend?!
ReplyDeleteI do too, it is hard to go wrong with them. This one was really fun to try. Thanks for hosting!
DeleteHi Carlee,
ReplyDeleteI love this this cake recipe and it's perfect for any fall gathering.
I will be featuring this at Monday's Cookingnand Crafting with J & J Link Up tomorrow.
We hope to see you again.
Julie
Thank you so much!! That is an exciting way to start the week!
DeleteWhat a great recipe! I've never thought of using sweet potato but I suppose it is just like pumpkin. Thanks Carlee for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom
ReplyDeleteIt is very similar, but I had never thought of it either! I think I am going to really enjoy having these baking assignments each month! Thank you so much for hosting!
DeleteHi Carlee! What a fun group to join! Wow, sweet potato in a cake, who would have thought? I'm surprised there aren't any marshmallows in it since that is the only way my family uses them. :) You are always cooking up something awesome and delicious! Thanks for partying with us at Talented Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Aspen
I really enjoyed my first month in the group. I just ordered the cookbook they are doing next and it looks like it is really going to have me trying some new things. I can't wait! I would have assumed marshmallows too when I saw sweet potatoes. That is always a favorite way to have them! Thanks so much for hosting!
DeleteWow! These look wonderful. We love sweet potatoes, and we love cake! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday. Please join us again this week.
ReplyDeleteMe too! Thanks so much for hosting!
DeleteHi Carlee! I'm so sorry that I didn't see this post sooner. I created this recipe for Southern Living's Cook-Off in 2005 and won the Southern Desserts category with this it. I love reading what people think about my creations and check out their comments every now and then. So glad you liked this recipe. Great cooks like you and your readers enjoying my recipes is what it is all about!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome that you created this recipe. We really enjoyed eating them, that is for sure! Thank you so much for stopping by!
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