Sweet Potato Chai Cake

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato (about 1 1/2 cups), cooked and mashed

2 cups of flour, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 cup of brown sugar, packed

2/3 cup of granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature, and slightly beaten

3 teaspoons of vanilla

½ cup of buttermilk

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup of salted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons of maple syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat an 8x8 square pan with baking spray or butter and flour it. 

Sift flour, baking soda & powder, and salt in a large bowl . Add cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and cloves, whisk together and set aside.

Cut your sweet potato in chunks. Fill a small pot with water and add sweet potatoes. Allow sweet potatoes to cook over medium heat until tender. Mash and set to the side to cool.

Using a handheld mixer, beat butter on low speed for 2 minutes then add both sugars. Cream butter and sugars together on high speed until light and fluffy, about at least 5-7 minutes.

On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time until just incorporated. Egg should be incorporated before adding next egg. Scrape down the sides as needed. Don’t over mix. Add vanilla and mix for about 30 seconds.

On low speed, add half dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix for a few seconds, add buttermilk,mix a few second add remaining dry ingredients and mix a few seconds. Scrape down sides and fold batter a few times by hand to combine completely.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it in an even layer. Bake 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake sit for about 10 minutes then invert  onto a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer,   mix together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Dollop the frosting over the cake and gently spread. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.