12 Days of Recipes - Day 1: Sweet Potato Casserole Cake

Sweet-Potato Cake:

• 2 (1lb 13oz) cans sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed
• 3 c cake flour
• 2 ts baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 c vegetable oil
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar (packed) 4 large eggs

Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 (7 oz) jars Marshmallow Crème
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (or 1 tsp extract & ½ tsp vanilla bean)

Drizzle:

• 2 (14.5 oz) Caramel Sauce
• ½ - 1 c. chopped toasted pecans

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Combine oil, 1 cup sugar, and brown sugar in large bowl; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.

For frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, marshmallow crème and vanilla until well blended.

Assembly:
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1/3 of the frosting over the top. Repeat with the second and third layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake. Chill until frosting sets, at least 2 hours.

Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Right before serving, drizzle caramel sauce over the cake and sprinkle the pecans over the top. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep covered and chilled.)

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Photo Credit: Shannon Lockwood