Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

I have been craving sweet potato lately, actually the last couple months.  So I've been making lots with it.  I never really liked it before, but since I've had it at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, I've been hooked.  So I have been putting it in lots of different stuff.  I originally saw this recipe in the book, Eat Cake.  It's a cute story, and it comes with a whole bunch of recipes for cakes that are featured in the book.  

This recipe was slightly different in the book, but I wasn't entirely too keen on the rum part.  And I didn't really want to add dry raisins, so I changed it up a wee bit to make it a simple sweet potato cake.  It was a hit with the family.  My cousin's girlfriend had the first slice and she was in heaven.  I like her now  :)

Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze

adapted from Eat Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 large sweet potatoes

4 large eggs

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup heavy cream

Glaze:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tbsp salted butter
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 10 inch bundt cake pan with Bakers Joy baking spray with flour.  Peel and quarter the sweet potatoes.  Boil the quarters in salted water until tender.  Drain the pot once they are done and mash them to an even consistency.  Measure out 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes and set aside until needed. 

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, beat the eggs with an electric mixer just enough to break them up.  Add the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale, about 2 minutes.  Add the vegetable oil and vanilla and beat to blend.  Add the mashed sweet potatoes until thoroughly combined.  You will need to scrape down the sides, unless you have the beater attachment for your KitchenAid that has the scraper on the edges, these things are awesome!!!!

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture in three additions, alternating with the heavy cream. Start and end with the flour mixture.

Pour into the bundt cake pan and bake on the center rack for 1 hour or up to 1 hour and 20 mins.  Use  a wooden skewer to check for doneness after 1 hour.  If it comes out w/ small crumbs, but not wet, then it is done and take it out!

Let it sit for 10 mins in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack with a lined baking sheet underneath to allow the excess glaze to drip down.  (I didn't do this-don't be like me!!!!  I have a pool of glaze in the middle!) 

For the glaze, combine the brown sugar, butter, and cream in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Bring to a boil until the mixture thickens somewhat, about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. 

With a long wodden skewer, poke holes all over the cake, concentrating on the top.  Spoon half of the hot glaze over the warm cake and let the cake and remaining glaze cool for 10 more minutes, until it has thickened slightly. 

Pour the rest of the glaze over the cake, letting it spill over the sides.  Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and serving. 

The cake will be thick and dense the first day, but even more so the next day. 

Look at all that thick delicious glaze in the middle!!!  We took a spoon and poured the excess over each piece as we were serving.  It was sooooooo good.  :)