Recipe adapted from chow.com
INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked sweet potato flesh, cooled (see Cook’s note)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 stick butter, melted, plus more for coating
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk, divided
1/2 cup nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
PREPARATION
- Set oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (except nuts), making sure to break up lumps.
- Using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix the sugars with the cooled sweet potato for about 1 minute.
- Add melted butter and mix on low speed until smooth, then add eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, mixing until creamy.
- On low speed, mix in half of the dry flour blend, then ¼ cup milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk, but do not over mix.
- Fold in the nuts, if using, and pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55–60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let the bread sit in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before cooling it completely on the rack and out of the pan.
Makes 1 loaf. Prep time, 15 minutes; cook time, 2 hours (includes cooking time for sweet potatoes).
Cook’s note: 2–4 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) makes 1 cup cooked potato mash. Lightly oil each potato and prick once or twice with a fork. Roast at 400°F for an hour or until fork tender. Potatoes release natural sugars so when burned syrup forms on the foil around the potatoes or on the peel, they are done.