Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cream Cheese-Caramel Frosting 11⁄2 hours
Makes 12 cupcakes
These ochre-toned, spiced cupcakes with a light orange scent are an adaptation of a
recipe from “The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook” by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day,
owners of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. The frosting here is no
ordinary cream cheese frosting. It’s flavored with a buttery, bittersweet caramel that
brings out the earthiness of the sweet potato and the warm notes of the spices in the
cupcakes. Store extras, if you have any, in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Don’t add the caramel to the cream cheese base if the caramel is still warm; it will make the frosting too soft for spreading onto the cupcakes. And as soon as the caramel is
incorporated into the frosting, stop the mixer, as overbeating will also result in a goopy
consistency. (If the frosting does end up too soft, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it firms up enough to be spreadable.)
INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
336 grams (12 ounces) orange-flesh sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-cubes
130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 large eggs, room temperature
143 grams (1⁄2 cup) packed light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1⁄4 cup whole milk, room temperature
For the frosting:
107 grams (1⁄2 cup) white sugar
112 grams (8 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces, room temperature, divided
2 tablespoons heavy cream
8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into rough 1⁄2-inch chunks, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
124 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the cupcakes, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the sweet potato and 1⁄4 cup water. Cover and microwave on high until completely tender, about 8 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Pour off and discard the liquid in the bowl, then mash the potato with a fork until smooth. Measure out 186 grams (3⁄4 cup) of
the sweet potato and set aside; discard the remainder or reserve for another use.
Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cardamom; set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and brown sugar on medium until well combined and lightened, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the oil, orange zest and the mashed sweet potato, then beat until homogenous, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl.
With the mixer running on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture followed by about half of the milk. Next, add about half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix on low until just combined, about 30 seconds. Fold the batter a few times with the spatula to ensure no pockets of flour remain.
Divide the batter evenly among the cups of the prepared muffin pan; each should be about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted at the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes directly to the rack. Cool while you make the frosting.
To make the frosting, in a medium saucepan, combine the white sugar and 1⁄4 cup water. Cook over medium, occasionally swirling the pan, until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase to medium- high and cook, gently swirling the pan, until the caramel is medium- dark amber in color and smokes lightly, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add 84 grams (6 tablespoons) of the butter and the cream; the mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk until the caramel is smooth, transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
In the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and the remaining 28 grams (2 tablespoons) butter until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, then beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer, add the caramel and beat on low until well combined, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed.
Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting, either spreading it with a small icing spatula or piping it on with a pastry bag fitted with a tip.
Glazed Sour Cream and Brown Sugar Bundt Cake
Start to finish: 11⁄2 hours (30 minutes active), plus cooling
Servings: 12 to 14
Sour cream and brown sugar have an affinity for each other, and the combination gives
this nostalgic cake, adapted from “The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook” by Cheryl Day
and Griffith Day, a plush, moist crumb and a rich, caramelly sweetness. A little ground
cardamom adds a whisper of fragrance and flavor. Finished with a shiny butter and
brown sugar glaze, the cake finds great company in a cup of coffee or tea. To ensure
the cake doesn’t stick, pan prep is important, but the flutes, ridges and center tube of a Bundt pan make oiling and flouring a challenge. For that reason, we prefer to use nonstick baking spray, which is similar to regular cooking spray but includes flour—mist the pan and it’s ready to go. If you don’t have baking spray, mix 2 tablespoons melted
butter and 11⁄2 tablespoons flour, then brush the mixture onto the pan, making sure all
interior surfaces are coated. Store leftover cake in an airtight container for up to three days.
Don’t boil the glaze mixture, but also don’t cook it at a lazy simmer. It should simmer vigorously in order to reach the correct consistency for coating the cake, so adjust
the heat as needed. Be sure to cool the glaze for 10 to 15 minutes before spooning it onto the cake; during this time it will thicken slightly.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
293 grams (21⁄4 cups) all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
226 grams (16 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
436 grams (2 cups) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 large eggs, room temperature
270 grams (1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
For the glaze:
42 grams (3 tablespoons) salted butter
109 grams (1⁄2 cup) packed light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the cake, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle
position. Mist a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with baking spray. In a
medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and
cardamom; set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest; continue to beat on medium until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
With the mixer running on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture followed by about half of the sour cream. Next, add about half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining sour cream and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix on low until just
combined, about 1 minute. Fold the batter a few times with the spatula to ensure no pockets of flour remain. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer, then rap the pan against the counter to remove any air bubbles and smooth the top.
Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted about 2 inches from the edge comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
To make the glaze, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and cream. Bring to a simmer over medium, stirring with a silicone spatula to dissolve the sugar, then cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer (but not a boil), until the spatula drawn through the mixture leaves a wide trail, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool until the glaze clings heavily to a spoon, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, transfer the cake to a platter.
Spoon the glaze onto the cooled cake, letting it slowly drip down the sides. If the glaze is too thin and quickly runs down the cake, let it cool until thickened to the correct consistency; if it is too thick and simply sits in place, gently rewarm it. Let the glaze set for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Chocolate-on-Chocolate Three-Layer Cake
Start to finish: 2 hours (1 hour active), plus cooling
Servings: 16 to 20
This grand, triple-layer, old-fashioned chocolate cake comes from “Back in the Day
Bakery Cookbook” by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day, proprietors of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. Cheryl Day learned the recipe from her grandmother but put her
own stamp on it with a few tweaks, including the addition of coffee, which adds complexity and intensifies the roasty, bittersweet notes of the chocolate. The cake
is made with unsweetened chocolate and the frosting calls for semisweet; for the best
flavor, search out good-quality chocolate for both. You will need three 9-by-2-inch round
cake pans. Some ovens cannot comfortably fit three pans on the same rack; if this is the case with yours, the recipe includes instructions for baking on two different racks. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator well covered or under a cake dome for a few days, but bring to room temperature before serving.
Don’t leave the unsweetened chocolate for the cake in large pieces. Finely chopping it helps ensure that it fully melts with the heat of the coffee. When making the frosting, be
sure the melted chocolate is cool to the touch before beating it into the butter. Finally, don’t trim the cake layers while they’re still warm. The cake will cut more
cleanly and with less “crumbing” when cooled to room temperature.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
360 grams (3 cups) cake flour, plus more for the pans
255 grams (9 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups hot coffee
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
270 grams (1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
642 grams (3 cups) white sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
For the frosting:
255 grams (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped
339 grams (24 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
310 grams (21⁄2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the cake, heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position (if your oven cannot comfortably fit 3 cake pans on a single rack, position the racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions). Mist three 9- inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with rounds of kitchen parchment, then mist the parchment. Dust the pans with flour, then knock out the excess.
In a medium bowl, combine the unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture, then let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to soften the chocolate. Whisk until completely smooth, then cool until barely warm to the touch. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and oil until well combined. Whisk in the sour cream, then add the cooled melted chocolate mixture, then whisk until homogeneous.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt on low until well combined and aerated, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the chocolate-sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients in 3 additions, beating for 45 to 60 seconds after the first 2 additions and scraping the bowl as needed. After the final addition, increase to medium and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Fold the batter with the spatula, scraping along the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure no pockets of flour or chocolate mixture remain; the batter will be thin.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Rap each pan against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Place the pans in the oven, spacing them evenly on the rack (if baking on 2 racks, place 2 pans on the upper rack and 1 on the lower). Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes (if using 2 oven racks, 25 minutes into baking, quickly move the 2 pans on the upper rack to the lower rack and the pan on the lower rack to the upper rack, then continue baking.)
Run a paring knife around the inside edge of each pan to loosen the cakes. One at a time, invert the cakes onto the racks, lift off the pans and peel off and discard the parchment. Carefully turn the cakes upright and cool to room temperature.
To make the frosting, in a medium saucepan over medium, bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Put the semisweet chocolate into a heatproof medium bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; make sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside until cool to the touch, stirring occasionally.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until smooth and creamy. With the mixer running on low, add the cooled chocolate and mix until fully incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the milk and vanilla; beat on low until combined, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, then continue beating until fully incorporated and the frosting is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl as needed. Increase to medium and beat for 1 minute to slightly aerate.
To assemble the cake, using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, carefully slice off the domed surface from each of the 3 cake layers, creating level tops. Set 1 layer cut side down on a cake plate. (If you like, to keep the plate clean as you frost the cake, cut 5 kitchen parchment strips, each measuring roughly 6-by-3 inches, and tuck them under the edges of the bottom cake layer so they cover the plate). Scoop about 3⁄4 cup frosting onto the center of the cake and, using an icing spatula, spread in an even layer to the edges of the cake. Place a second cake layer cut side down on top, aligning it with the
bottom layer, then frost it in the same way. Place the final cake layer cut side down on top. Spread the remaining frosting onto the top and sides of the cake. (Remove and discard the parchment strips, if used.)
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