serves
10-12
prep
45 minutes
cook
40 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
10-12
people
preparation
45
minutes
cooking
40
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 orange sweet potato (about 400 g/14 oz), peeled and chopped
- 225 g (8 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) poppy seeds
- 125 g (4½ oz) butter, softened
- 80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) dextrose, plus extra for dusting (optional)
- 1½ tsp finely grated lime zest
- 3 eggs
- 180 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) buttermilk
Cooling time: 5 minutes
Instructions
Steam or microwave the sweet potato until tender. Drain, mash and set aside to cool. You will need 260 g (9oz/1 cup) sweet potato for this cake.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F (fan-forced). Grease a 22 cm (8¾ in) baba or ring (or 20 cm/8 in round or heart) tin generously. Add a little flour to the cake tin, tilt the tin to cover the inside with the flour, then tip out the excess.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in the poppy seeds. Set aside.
Beat the butter, dextrose and lime zest with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, as necessary. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition, then stir in the sweet potato. In two batches, stir in the flour mixture and buttermilk until just combined.
Spread the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 2 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve, dusted with extra dextrose if you like.
This cake will keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
