This Buttered Rum and Candied Sweet Potato Crumb Cake from the Grandbaby Cakes cookbook by Jocelyn Delk Adams is sure to win your (and your family's) heart! It's the ultimate coffee cake! Recipe reprinted with permission from Jocelyn Delk Adams.
4large eggswhites and yolks separated, room temperature
2cupsgranulated sugar
1cupvegetable oil
2large sweet potatoesroasted, peeled and mashed (see notes below)
1/3cuphot water
1tablespoonvanilla extract
2cupssifted all-purpose flour
2 1/4teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonground cloves
1teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonground nutmeg
For the Butter-Rum Sauce:
1/2cupgranulated sugar
4tablespoonsunsalted butter
2tablespoonsrum
2tablespoonswater
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Instructions
For the Streusel:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Slowly stir in the melted butter with a fork, letting it coat the dry ingredients until crumbs are formed. Pinch pieces together to form more crumbs. Set aside.
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°Prepare a 9x13 inch baking pan by greasing with butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper, if you wish. You can also use non-stick baking spray.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped egg whites to a small bowl and place in the refrigerator.
Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Beat the granulated sugar and oil on medium-high speed until combined. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the sweet potatoes, hot water and vanilla extract and beat for another 3-4 minutes.
Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and carefully add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Mix the batter until just combined. Be care not to over-mix. Remove the egg whites from the refrigerator and gently fold them into the batter.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Cover with half of the streusel. Repeat with the remaining batter and streusel. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out moist but mostly clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a toothpick, poke the top of the cake in various locations. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out. While the cake continues to cool, prepare the sauce.
For the Butter-Rum Sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the granulated sugar, butter, rum and water to a boil. Once it is at a boil, whisk the sauce until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes. When the sauce can thickly coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the warm cake. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
While you can roast your sweet potatoes in a 400°F oven for 35-55 minutes, I opted to simply use the microwave. Prick the sweet potatoes in several spots with a fork, place it on a microwave safe dish, and, if you have it, use the baked potato button on your microwave or for about 8 minutes on High, turning once, until the sweet potatoes are tender.Recipe courtesy Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams (Agate Publishing, 2015).