Purple Sweet Potato Cake
This cake is an ode to the changing of summer into autumn! I love the flavor and texture of sweet potato-in dessert however, I wanted to pair it with something fluffy and floral. This is why this cake blends the best of both worlds, incorporating purple sweet potato puree, and violet-infused sugar, with a fluffy coconut oil-based frosting.
The color blue inspired me through its elusive presence within nature. Apart from butterfly pea flowers and blue-violet pansies, it appears very seldom within wild nature, giving off a sense of rarity. I wanted this cake to showcase the special nature of these flowers and how they make me feel seeing them in my garden all wrapped up inside an edible delight!
Experience the taste of summer florals combined with the rich sweetness of autumnal roots. This cake is perfect for an afternoon tea party of even a fairy picnic celebrating the change of the seasons.
Purple Sweet POtatO Cake (GF, DF)
1 large purple sweet potato (1 1/2 cups puree)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup neutral oil
3/4 cup organic white sugar (I used violet infused for extra flavor)
3/4 cup quinoa flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbs butterfly pea power*
Peel and chop your purple sweet potato, add it to a small pot with filtered water and cover it with a lid. Bring this to a boil and simmer until the sweet potato can easily be pierced with a fork. Once soft, mash the sweet potato with a fork and measure out 1 1/2 cups.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch round cake pan and cut out a round piece of parchment for the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, oil, sugar, and eggs until smooth.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together all three flours, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients with the wet and mix to combine thoroughly.
Pour your batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and/or adding the swiss buttercream.
Garnish with pressed pansies, and enjoy!
I love to use Suncore foods!
Dairy-Free Swiss Buttercream (GF, DF)
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups organic white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 cups soft coconut oil*
Find a large pot that is just big enough to fit your stand mixer bowl but not so big that the bowl touches the bottom of the pot. You want the mixer bowl to be able to rest on the lip of the pot. Fill the large pot with water and bring it to a boil.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Gently mix to combine, then place the mixer bowl over the boiling pot. Whisk vigorously until all of the sugar is dissolved. You can tell the sugar has dissolved by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingers. You want it to feel smooth and silky, not rough and sandy in texture.
Working quickly, attach the dissolved sugar mixture back onto the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until the whites form stiff glossy peaks, about 7 minutes. Make sure the entire mixture is mostly back to room temperature before continuing to the next step. This prevents the buttercream from looking curdled.
Lower the speed to medium and begin adding the coconut oil one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and switch to the paddle attachment. Add in the vanilla and salt, then continue mixing for about one more minute.
Troubleshooting: If your buttercream becomes too soupy, try adding it to the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then continue mixing until it comes back together again. If your buttercream becomes too stiff, try placing it back on over the boiling water to let it soften for about two minutes, then continue mixing to fluff it back up.
*Make sure your coconut oil is soft and slightly melted. If it's winter or your home is chilly, you may have to warm it slightly in the microwave. If it's summer or your house is warm, the oil may appear completely melted. In this case, stick it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to help it firm up a bit.
Pressed Flowers
Pansies, butterfly pea flowers, or violets
A hardback book
Parchment paper
Choose a hardback book with lots of space along its pages.
For every page you wish to fill up with pressed flowers, cut out two pieces of parchment that match the size of the book's pages. These parchment pieces will prevent your book from being stained by the flowers.
Begin by checking your flowers for any lingering bugs, removing excess stems, and making sure the flowers are completely dry before pressing.
Begin by laying out one piece of parchment about halfway inside the book so that there are plenty of pages to press down on the flowers. Carefully lay down each flower one by one face down along the parchment.
Once you have your flowers laid out neatly without overlapping, top them off with one more piece of parchment before closing the book over them.
Leave the flowers to dry for at least a week for cake decorations, but up to a month to ensure dryness for longer storage.
