4 medium sweet potatoes, which should yield 2 ½ cups mashed once cooked
Shortening and flour to grease two 9” cake pans
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
2 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
1½ cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup all natural apple sauce
1 cup golden raisins
1 Gala apple peeled, cored and chopped, about one cup
1 cup pecans chopped to rice sized pieces
Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese softened
1/3 cup butter softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup pecans chopped to rice-sized pieces
½ cup pecans, left whole
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9” round cakes pans by greasing with shortening and dusting with flour. Set aside. Bake sweet potatoes until very soft. Remove and discard skin and mash the potatoes. Set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter for one minute on medium until pale in color. Add both sugars and cream to combine. Turn mixer on low and add one egg at a time, mixing and scraping sides as you go. Add vanilla and apple sauce along with cooled sweet potato and mix to combine. With mixer running, slowly add flour until combined. Remove from mixer and fold in raisins, apple and nuts by hand. Divide mixture between the two prepared pans, smoothing tops with an off set spatula. Bake in center of oven for 50 minutes. Place a tooth pick in center and if it comes out clean, remove the cakes from the oven. If not done, bake for a few more minutes then test again. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Place a rack over each pan and invert and lift off the pan. Repeat for second cake and cool completely. To make the icing, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat until totally combined, scraping sides as needed. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed to avoid a powdered sugar dust cloud. Set aside. To assemble, place a little frosting on your cake dish or plate so that the cake doesn’t slide. Invert one cake onto the dab of frosting. Mix the ½ cup of chopped nuts with one cup of icing and smear over the top with an off set spatula. Place the second cake on top and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing. Decorate the top of the cake with the whole pecans. Serve or refrigerate until ready for service.