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Sweet Potato Streusel Cake


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Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 cups sweet potato (see Note)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the streusel

  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup pecan nuts roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 7-x-11-inch baking dish.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs and continue beating until the mixture is foamy.
  4. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the maple syrup and the sweet potato purée. Then fold in the flour, baking powder and spices. The batter will be dense. Pour it into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
  5. Mix all of the streusel ingredients together in a medium bowl. Use a pastry cutter (or two knives, or your fingers!) to cut the butter into the streusel and form small clumps. Scatter evenly over the batter.
  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the streusel is golden and a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • You’ll need 2 medium-large sweet potatoes to get 2 cups of roasted sweet potato flesh. To prepare the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 425F. Scrub the potato skins, then use a fork to prick holes all over the potatoes. Place the potatoes on a lined baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes, rotating them halfway, until the flesh is soft. Let cool, then peel the skins and use a potato masher or a fork to mash the flesh into a thick puree. Let cool completely before making the cake (you can do this up to 3 days in advance).
  • Adapted from Savory Nothings