This past weekend we found ourselves picking apples at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge Georgia. The weather was a bit warmer than we would have liked, but between the tractor ride, apple picking, and apple cider drinking we had a grand time.
Alongside the many varieties of apples in the apple house at Mercier you can find sweet potatoes for sale. If like me, you end up toting home some sweet potatoes along with your apples, might I suggest giving this sweet potato pound cake recipe a try. This is the same recipe we serve at The Corner Cafe with hardly a crumb left over.
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Buttered Softened
4 Eggs, Room Temperature
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Baking Soda
¼ tsp. Salt
1 and ½ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger
4 small Sweet Potatoes Boiled, Skinned, and Mashed. About 2 and ½ Cups Mashed
Place sweet potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Boil until potatoes are tender and you can pierce them with a fork. Drain. Peel potatoes and mash with a fork.
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for at least 30 seconds after each addition. Add in vanilla.
In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Add flour mixture and sweet potatoes alternately to the creamed butter mixture.
Pour batter into a greased tube or bundt pan. Batter will be thick. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool slightly before turning onto a wire cooling rack.
At this point you can serve the cake as is, or make a simple glaze with some powdered sugar and a bit of orange juice. Pour glaze over cake and enjoy!