Sweet Potato Layer Cake

Thanksgiving is long over, but for me, sweet potatoes make the year-round cut.  This sweet potato layer cake is loaded up with cream cheese, pecans, and a lotta brown sugar. 

Although the Rolling Stones may have had some other kind of "sweet" in mind when they were in America recording parts of their 1971 album, Sticky Fingers, I can't help but pair this rich dessert with their infamous, twangy chart-topper, "Brown Sugar".

Cake batter:

--3 large sweet potatoes (baked, skinned, and mashed)

--8 oz. cream cheese

--1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

--2 c. dark brown sugar

--5 large eggs

--2 tsp. vanilla

--1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

--2 tsp. ground nutmeg

--2 tsp. baking powder

--1 tsp. baking soda

--3 c. cake flour

--pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 10" spring-form cake pans.

In a large bowl, beat on medium speed the butter, brown sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Add eggs and blend.  Add the sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Beat on medium speed until blended.  

In a separate bowl, mix the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Fold into the sweet potato batter.  Once the flour is folded in, pour the batter into the two spring-form pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Once a cake tester comes out clean, remove cakes and allow to cool for approx. 1 hour.  

While the cakes are cooling, you've gotta make the brown sugar pecan butter and the cream cheese icing.

Brown Sugar Pecan Butter:

--1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

--1 c. dark brown sugar

--1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream the butter, brown sugar, and pecans.  Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cream Cheese Icing:

--8 oz. cream cheese

--1/4 c. dark brown sugar

--1 tsp. vanilla

--1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

--1 c. confectioner's sugar (or more, if you like your icing on the thicker side)

Cream together and place in refrigerator, along with your brown sugar pecan butter, until the cakes have cooled off and are ready to be frosted. 

Once the cakes have cooled, remove from pans and cut through (horizontally) using a serrated-edged knife (you want to cut the cakes so that you have four thin cake "discs").  Lay one of the "bottom" pieces cut-side-up on a plate.  Spread cream cheese icing and top with 1/5 of the brown sugar pecan butter.  Place one of the "bottom" pieces cut-side-up on top, and repeat instructions for icing and brown sugar pecan butter.  Next, lay the remaining "top" piece cut-side-up on top of the previously iced piece, and repeat icing and buttering.  Finally, place the last piece (a "bottom" piece) bottom-side-up on top of the last iced piece (placing the "bottom" side up allows you to have a smooth, flat cake top).  

Use remaining cream cheese icing to spread across cake top and sides.  Add the remaining brown sugar pecan butter to the iced cake top and swirl.  

This cake is incredibly rich, sweet, and delicious.