Sweet Potato Cake With Spiced Pecan Buttercream

Photo: The Duo Dishes

Ingredients

Nuts

3 cups pecan halves

cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons dark rum

Cake

2 pounds sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, cooled and pureed

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

3 tablespoons dark rum

1 1/2 cups spiced pecans, chopped

Buttercream

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

cup light corn syrup

1 pound butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup spiced pecans, chopped

Preparation

Place the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and toast them for 7-9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl . Stir in the melted butter. Add pecans to the mixture and stir. Return to baking sheet and place back in oven for 6-8 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle rum over nuts. Bake another 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and lay nuts in freezer until cool. Turn oven down to 325 degrees.

For cake, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add oil and beat until well combined. Toss in sweet potatoes, vanilla and rum and continue mixing.

While potatoes mix in, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Add to sweet potato mixture.

Fold in 1 1/2 cups chopped spiced pecans and mix well.

Pour into 2 8-inch cake pans sprayed with baking spray. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow cakes to cool completely once done.

As cakes cool, beat egg yolks in electric mixer until thick, approximately 5 minutes.

Combine sugar and syrup in a small sauce pan on the stove and stir as it comes to a boil. Slowly pour sugar-syrup into egg yolks and beat well. Beat until egg yolks cool to room temperature.

Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, and continue to beat. Mix well and add vanilla and salt. Fold in chopped pecans.

Once cake has completely cooled, split each one horizontally, so there are 4 layers. Place first layer on cake stand and spread a bit of frosting on top. Repeat with all layers. Spread remaining frosting on top and sides.

Top with remaining pecans and chill for at least an hour before serving. (Keep cake stored in fridge as well.)