Sweet Potato Layer Cake with Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting

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Fall  has definitely arrived here in Alexandria,VA. Cooler temps and falling leaves are a constant reminder that summer is over. Very soon, the holiday season will be in full swing. I am not a fan of cooler weather, but do love the holidays and all that comes with it. Especially the food. This Sweet Potato Caramel-Cream Cheese Layer Cake would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

This cake is featured in the November issue of Southern Living magazine. I’m always so excited when the latest issue arrives in my mailbox. Southern Living recipes are the best.

The recipe calls for canned pumpkin. My local grocery store didn’t have canned pumpkin, but did have canned sweet potatoes. I figured the sweet potatoes would be a good substitute since I can’t ever tell the difference in the taste between a sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie. I did make sure to drain the potatoes, and give them a quick rinse to remove any excess syrup.

You really can’t go wrong topping any flavor cake with cream cheese frosting. The caramel takes it to another level. Enjoy this cake with a cup of coffee and you have a perfect fall treat. Or a better yet, invite a friend over and enjoy them together. Cake, coffee, and community. Doesn’t get much better than that.

On a side note, many dessert recipes call for unsalted butter. Often times I use salted butter. Mainly because it is what I have on hand. I will sometimes omit or decrease any added salt in a recipe to compensate for the salted butter. I am sure more discriminating palates may disagree with me, but I haven’t found that using salted butter makes that much of a difference in the taste.

Buon Appetito!

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Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Caramel Layer Cake

By October 24, 2018

  • Prep Time : 50 minutes
  • Cook Time : 30 minutes
  • Yield : 10-12 slices

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Caramel: Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture is a medium amber color, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat, and immediately add heavy cream and butter (mixture will boil and foam). Whisk until well blended, and whisk in salt. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until cold, about 4 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the Cake Layers: Place oven rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350  degrees. Coat 2 (9 inch) round baking pans with cooking spray; lightly dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour.
  3. Sift together flour, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together pumpkin or sweet potatoes, buttermilk, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Add wet mixture to flour mixture; whisk gently until just blended but no lumps remain. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool Cake Layers in pans 20 minutes, and transfer from pans to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  4. Prepare the Frosting: Beat cream cheese in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until softened, about 1 minute. Add butter and beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low until incorporated; increase speed to medium until combined and thick but still spreadable, about 2 minutes. Chill 30 to 45 minutes before assembling cake.
  5. Place 1 Cake Layer, top side up, on a cake plate. Dollop with about 1/2 cup of the Frosting, and spread evenly. Top with second Cake Layer, top side up, and dollop with another 1/2 cup Frosting. Spread top and sides with a thin layer of Frosting. Chill 20 minutes. Take Caramel out of refrigerator, and let stand 20 minutes.
  6. Generously swirl Caramel into remaining Frosting, keeping swirls large in mixture. Spread along top and sides of cake in a few swoops so it looks rustic. Chill 1 hour before slicing and serving.
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