Pumpkin Sweet Potato Crunch Cake

Even though there has been record heat here in South Louisiana, it is still Fall.  And I still need my Fall flavors.  Sweet potatoes are a mainstay in Louisiana cooking, especially this time of year.  This delicious cake combines them with pumpkin and has an incredible crunch topping.  The interesting part of the recipe is that the topping goes on the bottom of the pan, so when you turn the cake out it's on the top. It's kind of like a pineapple upside down cake.  But, instead of a fruit topping, it's a buttery, sugary, nutty, crunchy mixture.  Delicious!  Also, it uses a boxed cake mix, so it's easy!

 

Be sure to refrigerate any left over cake.  It will spoil if left out.  Believe me, you don't want to waste a bite!

 

PUMPKIN SWEET POTATO CRUNCH CAKE

1 medium sweet potato, baked, peeled and smashed

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 box yellow cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 TBS cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 TBS vanilla extract

Crunch Topping:

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut

*Note:  This is a great use for a leftover baked sweet potato.  If you're not sure how to bake them, it's easy.  Place cleaned sweet potato on a greased baking dish and bake in a 400 degree oven until very soft.  For a medium sized potato that's about 45 minutes or so.  Let cool, Peel and mash.  You can do this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if you'd like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a Bundt pan well.  I use shortening but you can use cooking spray.  Just be sure to grease generously or it will stick.

Mix cake mix, oil, water and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for 2 minutes.  (If you don't have a mixer, just use a whisk and beat the devil out of it.)

Then, add the pumpkin, mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Now mix up the crunch topping by stirring together the softened butter, brown sugar, pecans and coconut until well incorporated.

Spread the crunch topping mixture evenly into the bottom of the greased Bundt pan.

Then, add the cake batter to the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Mine took 40 minutes in my convection oven.

*Note:  Don't freak out if the cake rises REALLY high.  I laughed out loud when I took this cake out of the oven but as it cools, it sinks and relaxes.  

See, it calms down :)

Let the cake cool COMPLETELY before turning it out.  If you turn it out while it's still warm, the topping will stay in the pan instead of on the cake.  (But don't worry, even if it does stick you can always just scoop it out and spoon it back onto the cake.  No one will be the wiser.)

The cake is moist and not too sweet, but you get the sweet from the crunch topping.  It's got a wonderfully spiced flavor that just yells Fall.  I absolutely love this cake and so did my daughter.  She said "Mama, that was awesome!  I want you to make that for my birthday cake."  That's high praise in my book.