Sweet Potato Pound Cake

I found this cake on Orangette. Obviously I was going to like a cake made with sweet potato, and luckily, the rest of my family liked it too! I made the glaze and poured it on the cake, though you should be warned that it’s the kind of glaze that will be absorbed in the crumb to keep it moist, not the kind that will sit atop the cake to make it look pretty. That being said, the glaze is optional, and I think that a glaze-less version of this cake would be great for breakfast or as a snack! Otherwise, serve this for dessert.

For the cake
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (I used 250 g. white whole wheat flour and 140 g white flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
½ cup lactose-free milk (low-fat is okay)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. (2 sticks) lactose-free butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

For the buttermilk glaze (optional)
½ cup buttermilk substitute (lactose-free milk with a splash of lemon juice)
½ cup sugar
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) lactose-free butter, cubed
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch or flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan (definitely don’t skip the flouring step).

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk well. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sweet potatoes, and mix until the batter is combined. (The batter may look curdled at this point; don’t worry.) With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture. Beat to just incorporate. Then add half of the milk mixture, and continue to beat on low until well blended. Add the remaining flour, followed by the remaining milk, and beat on low until the batter is thick and smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge to loosen the cake, and then carefully invert it onto the rack.

Meanwhile, make the glaze, if using. In a medium saucepan, combine the buttermilk, sugar, butter, cornstarch, and baking soda. Place it over medium heat, and bring it just to a gentle boil. Immediately remove it from the heat, stir well, and set it aside to cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla, and stir well.

Set the wire rack – with the cake atop it – over a rimmed sheet pan. Spoon the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve over the warm cake. (Molly Wizenberg recommends using a sieve because the glaze can have some little gelatinous bits of clumped cornstarch in it.)

Cool completely before serving.