Sweet Potato Cake

Mrs. Collins' Sweet Potato Cake

Serves 12 (makes one 1o-inch Bundt cake)
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: about 1 hour and 15 minutes
Cool: 20 minutes 1 large or 2 medium-size sweet potatoes

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the Bundt pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted, plus flour for dusting the Bundt pan

½ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, or ½ cup currants

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1. Peel and quarter the sweet potatoes. Place them in a medium-size saucepan and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let the sweet potatoes simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, let them cool, and then mash them (you should have about 2 cups). Set the mashed sweet potatoes aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and dust it with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

3. Spread out the pecans or walnuts, if using, in a small baking dish and lightly toast them in the oven while it preheats, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a small mixing bowl and stir with a fork to combine. 5. If using nuts, remove them from the oven and set aside.

6. Place the oil and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until they come together, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is thickened and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the mashed sweet potatoes and dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until all just combined and the batter is smooth, 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Fold in the toasted nuts or the currants. Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.

7. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. 8. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, give the pan a few good shakes to loosen it, and invert the cake onto a plate. Then, sprinkle the confectioners' sugar over it.