I am obsessed with yams. This yam craze started when I read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The story is commonly read in high schools for historical reasons, and I find the story of Okonkwo to be compelling because it is based on factual events. The characters’ desire for yams is extremely unusual and interesting. It was almost like a form of currency and Okonkwo was considered rich because of his large amount of yams. But I can understand why they loved this vegetable. I mean not only do they taste good, but they are also pretty healthy for you, which is awesome.

The following cake recipe is inspired by yams and is better for you than chocolate-chip cookies or brownies and it is just as indulgent. My mom has been making this cake since I was little and she will tell you, I can eat a whole cake by myself, no problem.  But trust me, you’re not just going to end up with a cake that tastes like yams, cause that would be weird. But instead, you’ll get a really moist and dense cake that tastes like a variety of spices with a hearty potato base. The cake is perfect with brown sugar icing that you pour over the top.

Another awesome thing about this recipe is that there are really no hard-to-find ingredients. Everything used to make this cake might already be in your pantry. Even the yams are easy to find at the grocery store (they’re usually right next to the potatoes).

I hope you guys like it just as much as I do!

 

So here’s how you make it:

Tools:

Large Mixing bowls

Sauce pan

Spatulas

Measuring cups/spoons

Electric mixer (optional)

12-cup Bundt pan

Concerning the pan, I have only ever made this cake in a Bundt pan. This form of the cake works the best with the frosting and baking as well. But if you do not have a Bundt pan lying around somewhere, do not panic. This is just like any other cake recipe (except better because it has yams), so a regular cake pan should be fine.

 

Cake Ingredients:

Four 8-ounze red-skinned yams (sweet potatoes)

Nonstick cooking spray

Butter (no specific amount)

2  3/4 cups all-purpose flower

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1  1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preparation: preheat the oven to 325°F and spray the pan with the nonstick cooking spray. After this, generously butter the pan (it would suck if your cake sticks to the pan!).

 

Making the cake:

First things first, the yams need to be prepared. Now, the recipe calls for actual yams, but you can get away with using canned sweet potatoes (just make sure you drain out the juice). If you use actual yams, pierce the yams all over with a fork and place them in a microwave for about 8 minutes on either side. Let them cool, and then peel and mash them.

TIP: Please remember to let them cool completely!!! The yams get extremely hot, and it is not fun to explain to people how you burnt yourself while microwaving yams (I know from personal experience).

Next, sift and combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl (preferably in an electric mixing bowl), combine the yams, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Only add 2 eggs at a time, and make sure to beat well in between each set.

TIP: This batter will be a little lumpy! So don’t be discouraged if your yam mixture is not completely smooth and silky. The lumpiness of the batter makes it more rustic and it still tastes amazing.

Once completely combined, add the flour mixture to the yam mixture. Beat until they are completely blended.

TIP: Only add in small amounts of the flour mixture at a time. This stops the flour from going everywhere and I find that it prevents huge clumps of flour from forming.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for approximately an 1 hour and 5 minutes (if you use a different style of pan, the baking time will be different. You can test when the cake is ready by poking a tooth pick into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done).

Once the cake is done baking, take it out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for at least fifteen minutes (again, it would be a real bummer if your cake fell apart on you when taking it out of the pan. By letting it sit in the pan, you are letting it set, which makes it way easier to take out of the pan).

 

Making the Icing:

This icing is not like your typical buttercream or cream cheese frosting. This icing is almost like caramel, so it will thicken over the cake and will melt in your mouth when you eat it (is your mouth watering yet?). It is important that you don’t make the icing too early, because then it will harden before you can even pour it on the cake. I usually start making the icing once the cake is out of the pans.

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream (not like actually whipped cream)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Start by sifting the powdered sugar into a bowl.

Next, place all the other ingredients into a large sauce pan. On medium-low heat, stir these ingredients until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved.

TIP: This process goes by quicker than you think so do not leave the saucepan unattended. Burnt sugar is not very tasty, and I don’t think it’s very fun to clean up either.

Turn up the heat to medium-high, and bring mixture to a boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes while stirring occasionally.

Pour the mixture over the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. As the icing cools, it will start to thicken. Wait until it is lukewarm (kind of a caramel consistency) and pour over the cake. Make sure to let the icing set before eating.

OPTIONAL: For presentation purposes, you can sift some powdered sugar over the top to make the cake look even better than it already does.

Congratulations! You have now created one of the best cakes known to mankind! Even Okonkwo would indulge in this dense and moist cake.

I hope you enjoy the cake as much as I do, and you never know, maybe you’ll find yourself obsessing over yams after eating this cake.