Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Okay, this is a straight-from-the-book recipe, well technically not a book.  I was flipping through the November 2011 Southern Living and came across this recipe.  It looked droolicious and I thought it was too good to pass up so I went ahead and tried it out for you. :) 

Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Southern Living November 2011, page 151 (instructions have been paraphrased)

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy.

Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears.

Add sweet potatoes, and beat well.

Stir together flour, next three ingredients and, if desired cinnamon (or nutmeg which is what I went with).  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating low speed just until blended after each addition.

Stir in vanilla.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Remove from pan to wire rack, and cook completely (1 hour).

I prettied mine up with some caramel sauce and fresh chopped pecans.

NOTES

You could easily substitute pumpkin or butternut squash for the mashed sweet potatoes.

Make sure to grease and flour your tube pan REALLY well or your cake will get caught and come out crumbled like (see photo above).

Actually this month's Southern Living had a nice collection of fall recipes that you might want to check out so if you don't get it already, you might want to pick up a copy.