There’s nothing quite like the warm, comforting flavors of a Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Cake. In this recipe, we’re combining the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes or pumpkin with a mix of delightful spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to create a cake that’s moist, flavorful, and utterly delicious. From the first bite, you get a burst of sweetness from the brown sugar, followed by the earthiness of the sweet potatoes or pumpkin, and then a subtle hint of spice. Plus, the addition of raisins, crushed pineapple, and pecans adds a delightful texture and crunch to the cake. This recipe is one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, you’ll find this recipe straightforward and rewarding. So, let’s get started on this baking adventure together!
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 3/4 c. butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 baked sweet potatoes or can pumpkin
- 3 c. unbleached flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1 c. raisins
- 1 can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 c. pecans
Baking Instructions
- Beat with spoon.
- Sift dry ingredients.
- Bake in Bundt pan 1 hour and 5 minutes at 325° for pumpkin; 1 1/2 hours with potatoes or until done.
Calorie: 350
Total cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty level: Medium
A Sweet and Spicy Tale: The Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cake Saga
The Great Debate: Sweet Potatoes or Pumpkin
So here we are, the eternal question – sweet potatoes or pumpkin? It’s like choosing between Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds, am I right? Both options are pretty great, but only one can win the lead role in our cake today. Whether you choose sweet potatoes or pumpkin, make sure you have 2 baked sweet potatoes or a can of pumpkin ready. Alright, moving on!
The Sugar and Butter Dance
Next up, we have our dynamic duo, brown sugar and butter. 1 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 3/4 cup of butter, to be precise. Now, you might be tempted to substitute brown sugar with white, but let me stop you right there. Brown sugar is the Ryan Gosling to white sugar’s Ryan Reynolds – sure, they’re both sweet, but one just has that extra depth… and it’s not the one in “The Proposal.”
The Wonderful World of Vanilla
Just a teaspoon of vanilla. Sounds simple, right? But trust me, in the grand scheme of our culinary plot, this little guy is like the twist in an M. Night Shyamalan movie. It changes everything.
Sifting Through the Drama
Now we’re onto the dry ingredients. You’ve got 3 cups of unbleached flour, 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder, 1 tsp. of soda, and a beautiful trio of spices: 1 tsp. of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg, and 1 1/2 tsp. of ginger. Sift them together, and the resulting mix is like the Avengers of the baking world – each ingredient bringing its own superpower to the mix.
Raisins, Pineapples, and Pecans: The Unexpected Trio
Okay, so we’ve got some wildcards here. 1 cup of raisins, 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice, and 1 cup of pecans. At first glance, you might think this is a weird mix. And you’d be right. But hey, it’s like that strange group of friends you had in high school – individually, they’re a bit odd, but together, they somehow work perfectly.
Beat It, Just Beat It
Now that we’ve got all our ingredients, it’s time to put Michael Jackson on the stereo and ‘beat it’ with a spoon. Yes, you heard me right. We’re beating with a spoon, not a whisk or a mixer. It’s a bit old school, but hey, so is vinyl, and that’s making a comeback!
Baking: The Grand Finale
Finally, we’re ready to bake this baby. If you’re using pumpkin, it’s going in a Bundt pan for 1 hour and 5 minutes at 325°. If you’ve gone the sweet potato route, it’ll be a bit longer, about 1 1/2 hours, or until done. Use this time to clean up, take a coffee break, or maybe just contemplate why we’ve been comparing ingredients to celebrities this whole time.
The End Result: Deliciousness
And there you have it – the sweet potato or pumpkin cake saga, complete with a cast of ingredients that would make any Hollywood director green with envy. The end result is a deliciously sweet and spicy cake that’ll have your taste buds doing the cha-cha slide. So, go on, enjoy your cake and eat it too. You’ve earned it!
