Sweet Potato Cake

If you are a regular reader here you know that I had  bumper sweet potato harvest last year. I've canned sweet potatoes and given away sweet potatoes yet still have lots. 

My mother had this great sweet potato cake recipe that she cut from a magazine back in the 70's I think. Over the years she made a few adjustments such as adding buttermilk for the liquid. She made it her own. The only problem was that this rascal takes 7 eggs. With lots of dark and dreary winter days eggs were somewhat a premium in my larder. Thank goodness I had some frozen in the freezer to get me through. But eggs are an issue no more as the ladies have come through for me in true Hickery Holler form. I am virtually swimming in eggs. So with 6 dozen eggs in the fridge I splurged and made this cake. 

Sweet Potato Cake

1 1/2 cups cooking oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs separated
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cups grated raw sweet potato
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Grease and flour 3 8 inch cake pans.
• Combine cooking oil and sugar and beat until smooth.
• Separate eggs and add egg yolks only one at a time to oil and sugar and beat well then add buttermilk. Set whites aside.
• Sift flour then measure. Now sift together sifted flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Now remove bowl from mixer and add the dry ingredients and mix well by hand. 
• Add grated sweet potatoes, nuts, and vanilla and mix well.
• Beat the 4 remaining egg whites until stiff and fold gently into cake mixture. 
• Distribute batter evenly between the 3 greased and floured cake pans.   
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until it tests done. 
• Cool for about 10 minutes then remove from pans to rack to finish cooling.

Frosting

1 large can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 stick oleo (margarine)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

3 egg yolks

Combine milk, sugar, oleo, egg yolks only in saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes or until mixture thickens stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add coconut and vanilla, beat until cool and of spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake. 

Blessings from The Holler 

The Canned Quilter