Sweet potato cake with spiced pecans

Ingredients
Test Kitchen tips
Sweet potato cake storing tips
To make your own buttermilk
More bakes with sweet potato

Sweet potato is the star of this gorgeously spiced, moist loaf cake. Topped with a luscious cream cheese icing and spiced pecans for some crunch, it’s a beautiful bake for afternoon tea.

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup (165g) firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar

2/3 cup (160ml) vegetable oil

1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk

1 1/4 cups (200g) coarsely grated sweet potato

1 medium apple, peeled and coarsely grated

SPICED PECANS

1 cup (120g) pecans

1/4 cup (40g) icing sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE ICING

250g cream cheese, softened

100g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups (250g) icing sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease and line base and sides of a 10cm x 24cm (base measurement) loaf pan with non-stick baking paper, allowing 3cm overhang and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars until smooth. Add oil and whisk to combine; add buttermilk, whisk to combine. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the sweet potato and apple until well combined.

Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan on a wire rack.

SPICED PECANS Meanwhile, lightly toast pecans in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat until warmed. Sift icing sugar over the pecans, with 1 tablespoon of water, cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until caramelised. Add the cinnamon, toss to coat. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

CREAM CHEESE ICING Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides occasionally.

Spread Cream Cheese Icing over loaf, smoothing with a palette knife. Sprinkle sweet potato cake with pecans to serve.