Don’t be afraid of sweet potatoes in a cake! Think about it: They go so well with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Plus, they give their pretty color to this cake, which has the light, airy texture of a chiffon cake.
MAKES ONE 8-INCH LAYER CAKE (SERVES 8)
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
¼ cup hot water
1½ cups grated peeled sweet potatoes
½ cup chopped pecans
Cream Cheese Frosting
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat together the oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well. Whisk in the hot water followed by the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the sweet potatoes and pecans.
4. Clean the mixer beaters and use them to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Use a rubber spatula to fold the whites into the batter. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 12 minutes, then remove from the pans and let cool completely on the rack.
6. Frost the top of each cake layer, stack them up, and then frost the sides. The cake will keep, under a cake dome, for up to 3 days at room temperature.
SWEET Potato Spice Cake
