Sweet Potato Cake

Sweet potato is available in such abundance in the Philippines. A staple in any supermarket, grocery, or farmer's market all year round, it is also a very common fixture in many of the food stalls that line the often, lively, busy streets of the country, particularly in areas near schools. 

This is hardly surprising though. Thanks to the versatility of sweet potatoes, it is easy for the enterprising minds to make it into something that would prove a hit to every passerby.

Perhaps the most popular way of serving these tuberous roots, in the country at least, is slicing it into bite-sized pieces, deep-frying it and then coating it with caramelised brown sugar. The pieces are then arranged on a bamboo skewer for an easier, more convenient, less messy eating session. This makes it easier to munch on the delightful merienda while going about your errands, waiting at the jeepney stop, or just enjoying an afternoon city stroll. 

Some people prefer the no-fuss method of just boiling it in water with a pinch of salt. This is a huge hit too, especially as afternoon snacks for many a Filipino family. It can be eaten as is. Some serve it with margarine, which is a delight. My mum has a peculiar yet very interesting way of serving boiled sweet potatoes at home though- dipped in oil with some salt in it. 

I know. It does sound weird. Trust me though, it's really good. 

You can also make it into a delightful, delicious filling for empanada. I know, you probably haven't heard of that before but I am going to have to discuss that in detail in a separate post.

Anyway, I've always wondered if it is possible to make it into a cake, but I was a bit nervous that it might not turn out as good as I'd hope it would. It was only later on when I stumbled upon a recipe by shewearsmanyhats that I finally summoned the courage to try it out. I did tweak it a bit and the resulting cake was just heavenly.

The cake uses butter instead of oil that is then creamed and beaten til it's fluffy. Eggs are then added one at a time.

The addition of ground cinnamon and ginger gives the cake a really incredible smell, especially right after you take it out of the oven. 

When mashing the sweet potatoes, make sure that you do it while it is still hot because it is just so hard to do it once it has already cooled down. Mashing it when cooled will only likely end up with lumps, which you do not want for your cake.

The cake uses buttermilk but if you happen to not have one readily available in the kitchen, you can make a substitute instead. All you need are two tablespoons of vinegar and then add milk to that until you get a total of a cup. Let stand for about 10 minutes and you have your buttermilk!

When adding the dry ingredients to the egg, butter, and sweet potato mixture, do it in threes. This is to ensure that you will not end up with lumps. Also, alternate it with buttermilk. Use a spatula to fold everything together or an electric beater on low to incorporate everything together. 

Your pan of choice can affect the baking time. Wider and shallower pans would require less time in the oven. Meanwhile, deeper and narrower pans would mean more baking time. The cake is done when you stick a toothpick at the centre of the cake and it comes out clean. Generally, you will need to bake it around 55-75 minutes. 

For this particular recipe, I decided to use a chiffon cake pan and I find that this helps shorten the baking time considerably.

So, without further ado, below is the recipe for sweet potato cake.



Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsps baking soda
* 2 tsps baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tbsp ground ginger
* 1 cup butter
* 3 eggs
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, properly cooled
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 160C and prepare the baking pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until creamy. Set the beater into medium-high and beat for about 4 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is fluffy. this usually takes about 1 to 2 minutes. 

5. Add vanilla extract and add the mashed potatoes too. Beat again until the mixture is smooth.

6. Add the dry ingredients in three parts and alternate it with the buttermilk. Beat it in low speed until everything is properly incorporated. Avoid overbeating. 

7 bake the cake for 55 to 75 minutes. Baking time usually depends on the kind of baking pan that you use. You know the cake is done when you stick a toothpick in the centre and it comes out clean.

Pan de Sal Recipe

  I love bread. Everybody in the house does. I remember how when we were younger, my siblings and I would look forward to Tata ( my dad) coming home from work every Saturday afternoons. He was a carpenter and he used to work in jobs where he gets paid every Saturdays. He would always bring home bread as pasalubong for us kids. He had to bring lots of it too. Did I mention there are five of us eager kids waiting My all time favourite would often be pan de sal which we often buy piping hot from our favourite neighbourhood bakery. It is the Filipino dinner rolls.  It is perfect in the morning paired with hot choco or milk. It would be perfect for merienda later in the afternoon too. Add a generous slab of Star Margarine on a piping hot piece and it is heaven on earth.

When I became interested in baking, bread has always been the first thing that I wanted to try out. I didn't know where to start though. The whole process intimidates me. It was only later when I have learned of the existence of the internet and Youtube tutorials that I got the courage to try it out.

My first attempts were unsuccessful. It turned out I was using the wrong flour. I did not realize what are the classifications of the different flours sold in the Philippine markets. We don't have the bread flour label when you buy baking stuff at the market or at the groceries. We only have the different classes. There is cake flour, third class, and first class. I was using the third class flour all along. Though I still did get a piece of good looking bread, once it has cooled, it became hard and brittle- not like the chewy, soft bread that I used to buy.

After getting some research done, I found out that the right type is the First class. As it turned out, the store where I buy stuff from has a little print on their wrapping for First class that says 'harina de pan'. Facepalm.

Anyway, for those who are attempting to make bread for the first time, it is always important that you get the right flour. It makes all the difference.

I did mention that pan de sal is my favourite, right?

That's what I'll be sharing with you.

I do not have fancy equipment at home. So, whenever I have to make bread, I have to do it by hand.

Kneading is going to play a very important role in the outcome of your bread. You would want to knead it long enough to get the gluten to work. Bread that is not kneaded enough tends to be dense and tough.

The amount of flour that you are going to use will matter too. Most of the time, recipes will only call for approximations on how much flour you should use. The temperature and humidity of your working area can play a big role in this. Sometimes you need more, sometimes you need less.

Anyway, on to the recipe.

Pan de Sal Recipe

Yeast mixture:

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water

1 tsp sugar

Dough mixture:

3- 3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup lukewarm water/milk

1/2 cup butter/oil

5 tbsp white sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

breadcrumbs

1. Dissolve sugar to lukewarm water. Add yeast. Stir well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. After ten minutes, the mixture will be foamy, which is a sign that the yeast has activated. Make sure that the water is not too hot. It must only be slightly warm to the touch or it will kill the yeast.

2. Add sugar and salt to the bread flour. Start with three cups first. Mix well. Add oil, the yeast mixture, and the lukewarm water or milk (whichever you are using). Mix well. If the dough is too sticky, you can add more flour a little at a time.

3. Turn the dough into a floured surface. Knead until it is smooth, elastic and supple. Oftentimes, it takes around 10 -15 minutes to achieve this result. Then, lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough inside and turn it so it gets coated with the oil. Cover with a plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it sit in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume. This usually takes around an hour.

4. Punch the dough to get rid of the air pockets within. Then, turn it into a floured surface and divide it into four pieces. For the pieces into cylinders. Using a sharp knife, cut these logs into 1/2 pieces. Coat the pieces in bread crumbs. Place them in lightly greased baking sheets flat side down.

5. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C or 175 degrees F.

6. Cover the rolls with a damp towel. Let the rolls rise until they have doubled in size. This takes around 30 minutes.

7. Bake until they are golden brown. Usually, this takes around 15-20 min.