What is it about sweet potato and cake in the same sentence that promises awesome? When I saw this recipe posted at the fabulous VegNews site, I knew I was in trouble.

Five days. That’s how long I lasted between spotting the recipe and making it materialize in front of me.

This cake is delicious – I think it might just make another appearance over the Holidays. Sweet, fragrant and spicy, this dense and super moist delight is like gingerbread in a cake.

I followed the recipe for the cake exactly, except that I used two round 9-inch pans (instead of the recommended 8-inch pans). You could definitely make this cake in a bundt pan or muffin tin – gingerbread cupcakes! I baked for an extra 5 minutes (for a total of 40 minutes), so definitely use a toothpick to determine done-ness. I also made my own sweet potato puree (rather than the called for can), by steaming sweet potato and weighing it to get the required amount. In a pinch, you could probably substitute pumpkin puree – but have you ever noticed how much sweeter sweet potato is? Mmm, sweet potato.

After comparing the icing portion of the recipe to some of my favourites, I decided to reduce the amount of confectioner’s sugar called for, using 3 cups (instead of 4 cups) – which is plenty sweet and has a really nice texture.

I love, love, love the addition of toasted coconut and pecans sandwiched between the two cake layers – so don’t leave that part out!

What to make next? Have you seen the VegNews Holiday Cookie Collection? Yeah, baby.