Sweet potato, maple and pecan loaf cake recipe
If you like carrot cake, why not try this sweet potato twist? The root veg and maple syrup give a lovely sweetness to the cake, which is perfectly balanced with the nutty, buttercream frosting. Loaf cakes are great for beginner bakers, so anyone can have a go whipping up this teatime treat.
See method- Serves 10
- Takes 1 hr 35 mins, plus cooling
- 600 calories / serving
- Freezable
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 300g sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with a fork a few times
- 120ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 150g dark brown soft sugar
- 100ml maple syrup, plus 1 tbsp
- 2 large eggs
- 80g natural yogurt
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 70g pecans, roughly chopped
- 125g unsalted butter, softened
- 250g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
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Shop ingredientsEach serving contains
- Energy
- 2515kJ 600.0kcal
- Fat
- 29g
- Saturates
- 9g
- Salt
- 0.5g
- Sugars
- 50g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 76.3gProtein 6.4gFibre 2.5g
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Method
- Microwave the sweet potatoes on high for 7-8 mins until tender and soft when pierced with a skewer. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C, and grease and line a 900g loaf tin with nonstick baking paper.
- Whisk the oil with the sugar and 100ml maple syrup in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Crack in the eggs, spoon in the yogurt; whisk again.
- Cut open the sweet potatoes, scoop the soft insides into a bowl, then mash until smooth; you need 200g. Mix into the batter. Sieve in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice with a pinch of salt, then fold in just enough so that no white streaks remain. Stir through most of the chopped pecans.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, level the surface, then bake for 55 mins-1 hr until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To decorate, put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 2 mins until pale and fluffy. Add the icing sugar in two batches, whisking each time until smooth and airy. Whisk in the milk to make a spreadable buttercream. Spread over the cooled loaf cake, then scatter over the remaining pecans and drizzle with 1 tbsp maple syrup. The cake will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- See more Cake recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze uniced cake. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
