Though my grandpa* used to call me "Tater" because I could just about eat my weight in plain ol' buttery mashed potatoes, my tastes have changed over the years and a more apt name at this point would be "Swee' Tater" (for many reasons, obviously). (After all, I practically walk around with a halo atop my head.)(That may be an exaggeration.)
...for pie.
If I didn't make this cake with my own two hands, two feet, and left elbow, you'd have a hard time convincing me that there was sweet potato involved.
Gigi of gigi cakes and Katie of Apple and Spice have started a group specifically for cake lovers aptly named The Cake Slice. I, being a cake lover, signed on immediately. Each month a different three-layer cake is made by the members, and the chosen cake this month was Sweet Potato Cake with Chocolate Cream Frosting and Orange Filling from the book Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne.
Another sweet potato cake, eh? All righty. Although I stayed true to the book's cake recipe (using sweet potatoes from my grandpa's garden), I changed up the rest. For one thing, I opted to go with my favorite frosting recipe instead of the suggested chocolate version. I'm sure none of you will be shocked to find that my favorite frosting recipe is composed of cinnamon and cream cheese, first introduced in my ode to cinnamon.
The other change was an effort to make it more Thanksgiving-friendly by using cranberry juice instead of orange juice for the filling. It didn't color the frosting as much as I had hoped, but it was a lovely little tart surprise nonetheless.
This cake was pretty darn fabulous. The sweet potato doesn't affect the flavor at all as far as I can tell, for better or for worse. It does, however, keep the crumb extremely moist, which is very important to me. The cranberry flavor is detectable, but only, I suspect, because I knew it was there. Really, the predominant flavor is cinnamon, which explains why I enjoyed the cake so much.
If you're wondering why my cake looks so dang small, it's because I only made one-third of the recipe and baked it in three mega-muffin molds. I cut each little cake in half and got two miniature three-layer cakes out of the deal. All for me.
Check out the other Cake Slice Bakers for more sweet potato goodness.
Happy Turkey Day!
Oh, beloved sweet potato casserole. Who do you think you're fooling? Sure, you may be served alongside a baked ham or roasted turkey, but you're no side dish. Something so naturally sweet topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, and oats is clearly dessert. I'm on to you, sweet potato casserole. I'm smarter than I look.
Given my sweet tooth, it's no surprise that sweet potato casserole is my favorite side dish (if you're comfortable calling it that). I've already confessed that it usually takes up a good chunk of my plate during holiday meals.
This recipe is loosely based on the one taught to me by my grandma. I say "loosely based" because I've tweaked it over the years and made it my own. The end result is a smooth and creamy cinnamon-tinged sweet tater base with a crispy, coconutty, cinnamon streuselicious topping (I do love me some cinnamon...). It's so dessert-like, I'd say I feel guilty eating it as a side dish, but that would be a blatant lie. And I may be a lot of things, but I'm no liar.
Sweet Potater Casserole
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and mashed
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk (more or less, to desired consistency)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Streusel Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine or butter, cold
In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine sweet potatoes, sugar, egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Pour into 9x9" greased baking dish or a casserole dish of similar size.
Mix the topping ingredients together, cut in the margarine or butter until crumbly, and sprinkle over the potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is properly brown and crunchy.
Interesting side note: Sweet taters have lots of anticancer properties, mostly stemming from their beta-carotene, which may protect DNA in the cell nucleus from cancer-causing chemicals. Because of this, I'm using this post as a contribution to an event created by Chris at Mele Cotte--the second annual Cooking to Combat Cancer. I would be remiss if I didn't say just how much I respect and admire people who attack cancer head-on. I can only hope that I would be that strong in such a situation.
On a lighter note, tomorrow is Tater Day, certainly a day worth celebrating!
Grandma’s influence strikes again!
Whenever we have a holiday or birthday meal, we always assign my grandmother to bring her sweet potato casserole. It’s magnificent. Perhaps it’s the pineapple mixed with the sweet potatoes, or perhaps it’s the coconut and pecans in the streusel topping (no marshmallows here, folks). Either way, it’s like candy to me and it usually takes up more than a quarter of my plate. If you saw the other foods in the spread we usually have, you’d realize that this is saying a lot for them good ol' taters.
My belabored point is that I love sweet potato casserole. Many moons ago (last October, to be exact), as I was scanning some of my favorite blogs (Cupcake Project, to be exact), I happened upon an interesting recipe. In fact, I did a double-take. Sweet potato casserole...cupcakes? Why, yes, yes it was. Hmm. I bookmarked the recipe, adding it to the abyss of recipes I’d like to try, and promptly forgot about it.
Twas fate, my friends, which brought that recipe to my attention again. I've been paired Stef from Cupcake Project for Taste & Create VII.
Although she has many, many amazing, unique, and incredible cupcake recipes, I clearly had to pick the Sweet Potato Casserole Cupcakes.
[I feel a bit guilty that I only have about 15 recipes posted on my site, most of which involve a sourdough starter. Sorry Stef!]
What did I think? These. Were. Breathtaking.
*I used pureed sweet potatoes from my grandpa's garden, which explains why mine are a little lighter in color than Stef's, who used canned puree.
*I skipped the filling. I know, I know--I'm a slacker.
*I used about twice as much icing as Stef, but I'm a professed icing girl. Plus, it happened to be one of the most wonderful icings I've ever eaten, so that might've had something to do with it. Me like caramel.
*In an attempt to make these more like Grandma's casserole, I added some coconut on top. Others I topped with glazed walnuts. (I liked the coconut ones better.)
*Cupcakes are not my forte, so I don't own any cups or even a tin pan. I used my silicone muffin pans instead, so that's why there're no festive paper liners to be seen.
This is a top-notch recipe, and I'd like to give Stef a hearty pat on the back for coming up with it. Nicely done, milady! Keep up the good work!
*Sadly, they're not multiplying.
I have a dear acquaintance who collects cast iron skillets. She has them hanging on her wall, and I wouldn't be surprised if her whole house isn't slowly tipping over.
Sweet potatoes need not be reserved for sweet potato casserole or sweet potato pie, though both are certainly worthy uses.
I like grocery shopping, but I also like when delicious things are delivered to my door.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TheNewFanFavorites #CollectiveBias
"Waste not, want not" is a great mantra for the new year, especially since a certain big football game is coming up.
A few weeks ago, I was asked if I'd like to join some of my favorite lovely lady bloggers in a Thanksgiving blogging event.
We decided to have each person contribute a different course for Thanksgiving, making something of a complete menu for you readers. MOST unfortunately, I got stuck with dessert. (I sure hope your sarcasm detector went off; if not, get that sucker checked!)
Prah-leen, pray-leeen, peee-can, pa-cahn--regardless of how you pronounce the words, the combination of brown sugar, butter, and nuts is pretty much irresistible, especially slathered on top of a delightful sweet potater cake.
I've had this particular recipe bookmarked since the second I came across it. Sweet potatoes, bananas, and cinnamon united in cake form and topped with a thick, sweet praline frosting--you'd better believe I'd give it a shot! It was everything I hoped it would be.
I experienced multiple "OOOH ME" moments during the process. First, I chose to bake the cake in a tube pan. I would've gone with a bundt pan, but alas, I don't have one (and the Christmas list grows...). It took a lot longer than the 50-60 minutes indicated in the recipe, but I should've expected that, as that was the time for two loaf pans. Secondly, the cake itself grew into a grotesque and hideous monster rather than a nice, smooth cake. Witness Exhibit A:
Yikes. The third heart trauma occurred in the making of the praline frosting. I desperately wanted to cover the crags and crevices in the cake, so I really needed the frosting to be a good one. I let it cool and let it cool and let it cool, and it was still so runny that I was afraid to top the cake lest I end up with a praline-topped kitchen floor. I finally bit the bullet and spooned it on, and except for a few rather attractive dribbles...
...it hardened right on top. Phew.
Did I mention that it was tasty? Although the cake was good (very bread-like, with both the sweet potato and banana flavors detectable), the frosting was simply stellar. Stellar, I say. And that's coming from a person whose least favorite nut is the pecan.
So, now that your appetites are sufficiently stoked, go check out the rest of the spread:
*A masterfully-prepared turkey from Sue of Feel Good Eats.
*Fennel, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing and Brussels Sprouts with Virginia Ham a la Tiffany of The Garden Apartment.
*Two stunning dishes from Amy of Eggs on Sunday--Squash and Apple Bake and Celery Root, Parsnip and Apple Puree.
*Finally, from Kristin of The Kitchen Sink comes an Apple and Pecan Tart.
Sweet Spud Cake with Pray-leeen Pa-cahns
(based on this recipe)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 ripe bananas
2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease up a bundt pan, 2 loaf pans, or whatever dish you desire.
Blend oil, eggs, bananas, and sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and flours; blend well. Beat in the milk and sugar. Pour into pan(s) and bake for 50-75 minutes depending on pan of choice, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Praline Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups powered sugar
1/4 c. water
Cook butter and brown sugar over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until caramelized. Add pecans and remove to a bowl and cool slightly. Measure powdered sugar into a bowl and stir in water. Whisk until smooth. Using a fork, mix glaze into pecans, breaking up praline pieces while stirring. Spoon over cake and allow to harden and cool.
And hey--Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, what do you know. Looks like I need to take back all my negative words about TasteSpotting, for they have deigned to post one of my pictures. I do believe that I'm in shock.
As it turns out (in my case, at least), the secret to getting posted is that someone else has to submit your photo. So I thank you, April in CT. You are my hero.
Things a sweet potato casserole can do:
-make me swoon
-earn me some r-e-s-p-e-c-t from TasteSpotting
-fight cancer
-morph into a cupcake
-remind me to call my grandma
-if overly-consumed (as I am wont to do), turn my palms, soles, knees, and nasolabial folds yellow-orange...(yes, I'll let you know if that happens)
-provide fuel for my car
-hammer out Beethoven's Fur Elise on the piano
Yeah, just kidding about that last one...or am I? Never underestimate the power of the sweet potato!
There are some differences in beliefs or opinions that have been known to end marriages. Opposing preferences in potato salad is, thankfully, not one of them (or at least it shouldn't ever be!).
No, not abra-cadabra. Not pretty please with a cherry on top.
Three little (well, more like medium-sized) words with the power to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary...
Cinnamon. Streusel. Topping.
More specifically, cinnamon streusel topping resting upon a tub o' pulverized butternut squash. (I told you it'd be back.)
Even if you don't particularly like butternut squash, I think chances are good that you'll enjoy this casserole. The puree itself becomes slightly fruity and quite sweet, and the topping just takes it above and beyond. Obviously.
I debated attempting this casserole for awhile. The idea stemmed from my undying love of sweet potato casserole, so the recipes are similar. Although replacing the sweet potaters with butternut squash made for an impressively tasty dish and I'm very proud of my creation, I'd still pick the original in a nanosecond.
Streuseled Squash Casserole
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cooked, deseeded, destringed, and mashed
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons orange juice
Topping:
1 cup quick oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all the casserole ingredients, mixing well. Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish.
Combine the dry topping ingredients. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the squash and bake for 1 hour or until set.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SnackSnapShare #SnackStories #CollectiveBias
I make no excuses for my sweet tooth. Given the choice between dessert and just about any other food selection, I'll take dessert every time.
We now resume our regularly-scheduled program, Bountiful Butternut Squash.
(This should be the last squash-centric post for awhile, although I do still have two behemoths left.)
Ya'll suggested some magnificent things to do with my squash (Lucy's ravioli comes to mind), and all I've done so far is make muffins. Boooooring. That's why I'm hesitant to even post this next creation--you may riot against me.
Yes, it's another baked good--and I do mean baked good. This bread comes to us from Pam of For the Love of Cooking and it's wonderful. The only changes I made were using squash instead of pumpkin (obviously) and cutting out the ginger, nutmeg, and nuts. The resulting bread is moist yet fluffy, sweet, and hearty.
It'd probably make a killer muffin.
Butternut Squash Bread
(adapted from here)
2 cups butternut squash puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the squash, oil, eggs, and sugar. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves and stir into the wet mixture until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.
I had a wee bit of puree left, so I opted to simply spice it up and eat it just like that. I added a dash of milk, a touch of butter, some brown sugar, and some cinnamon. It was fantastic. Come to think of it, it would've been even better with a topping like the one on my favorite sweet potato casserole. Duly noted.
Generally, my order of cake preference would go something like this (from least favorite to tops): cheesecake, bundt cakes, pound cake, cupcakes, sheet cake, layer cake. (Apparently, my love of frosting is quite the driving factor here, making cake simply a vehicle for the creamy, sugar-happy stuff. Driving. Vehicle. See what I did there?)
The list is not set in stone, of course. Coconut pound cake moves up in the order and inadequately-frosted layer cakes move back. Cinnamon-centered anything automatically gets a high ranking, and on it goes.
But wait! Those are all sweet! There are other cakes to be taken into consideration...
Pancakes, for one. Or any type of bean cake-pattie-burger. And we must never overlook the potater cake.
Now, to be fair, there are recipes for true potato cakes, fluffy and probably chocolate-laden. But I'm here to discuss the savory side. You have your latkes (also known as potato pancakes), which are made of grated potato, flour, egg, and perhaps some seasoning and shallow-fried. There are also potato scallops or fritters, which, as I understand it, are common in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and England and involve deep-frying slices of batter-coated taters. (Why these aren't popular in America as well, I do not know.) Another variation from our neighbors across the pond is the Scottish tattie scone, a flatbread-type creation making use of mashed potatoes and a rolling pin.
This is none of those. I suppose it can be considered a combination of latkes and tattie scones, as it consists of already-mashed potatoes that are shaped into patties and pan-fried. Tatkes. That's what they are. Wanna know what else they are? Delicious. Tempting enough to cause one to rouse in the middle of the night and grope blindly to the fridge for a bite. Powerful, I tell you.
Tatkes
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (unless you want to make a batch solely for this purpose, which is completely acceptable and understandable)
1/4 cup flour, or possibly more or less, depending on the moisture content of your taters
salt and pepper, to taste
other seasonings, as desired (I think rosemary is awesome)
oil, butter, or some combination thereof
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add a proper dose of fat.
Add the flour, salt, pepper, and other seasonings into the mashed potatoes and incorporate well. Form patties a bit smaller than the size of hockey pucks and let them sit for a few minutes to set up. Gently place the cakes into the hot skillet and let them fry until brown. Carefully flip the patties and then extract them when the other side has browned. Eat 'em while they're hot (or ice-cold as a midnight snack--no one's judging you).
Certain dishes are worthy of making and eating again and again, and they certainly shouldn't be reserved only for special occasions.
Squash casserole (or its first cousin, sweet potato casserole) is one of those dishes.
Yes, I made it last Thanksgiving. Yes, I made it several other times throughout the year. Each time it morphed a little bit more, and I must say, it's come a long way. For our shindig at work this Thanksgiving, I made a denser version and enhanced the streusel topping enhanced with coconut and pecans.
The very best part. No debate. The end.
Acorn squash was what I had on hand for this, and since it's a good bit more watery than butternut, I added some breadcrumbs into the mix. Heaven forbid I end up with a soupy casserole, am I right? I mean, what if it ruined the topping? We certainly can't have that.
Have a filling and fulfilling Thanksgiving, ya'll!
Tweaked-Over-Time Streuseled Squash Casserole
4 cups acorn squash, peeled, cooked, deseeded, destringed, and mashed
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup breadcrumbs
Topping:
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all the casserole ingredients, beating well. Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart casserole dish.
Combine the dry topping ingredients. Cut in the butter with two knives or a pastry cutter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Sprinkle on top of the squash and bake for 1 hour or until the topping is browned and the center is set.
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