Sweet Potato Bread

Poor Gus.  Turning back the clocks for Daylight Saving Time leaves him so disoriented.  He thinks it's dinnertime, so he's taking up post near his bowl.  And staring at me while I putter around the kitchen.  With those big, accusing eyes. 

I caved and fed him his dinner fifteen minutes early, I just couldn't stand his oh-woe-is-me pose any longer.

Remember when I blogged about the fabric that Caitie picked out for  the pillowcases I was going to sew?  I'm not surprised if you can't remember, it was so.......long..........ago.

I sewed them in a timely manner.  I just didn't get around to trimming them until this week.

Done.   Finally.  I had to go upstairs and switch out one of the pillowcases on Erin's bed.

Mix and match.

Emphasis on mix.  Not-so-matchy.

It's Erin's turn to pick out the fabric for the next batch.  As long as my girls like these pillowcases, I'm happy to make them for them. 

Today's recipe, Sweet Potato Bread, is perfect when you're looking for a way to use up any leftover mashed sweet potatoes after Thanksgiving.  Or, if you don't want to wait until after Thanksgiving, you can use canned sweet potatoes.

My daughter describes this bread as "a combination of coffee cake and banana bread.  Cinnamon taste like coffee cake, moist texture like banana bread."

In other words, it's really good!

Today's Playlist

• "Troublemaker".......Weezer
• "Seven Nation Army".........The White Stripes
• "Learn  To Fly"...........Foo Fighters
• "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked".......Cage The Elephant
• "She"........Green Day
• "Perfect Situation"..........Weezer
• "Doin' Time".........Sublime
• "Mr. Brightside".........Killers
• "The Air Near My Fingers".......The White Stripes

Sweet Potato Bread

Bread Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (two sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups leftover mashed sweet potatoes (or one 40-oz can, rinsed and drained)
• 4 eggs

Topping Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

About an hour ahead of time:  remove butter from your refrigerator to soften.  The butter for the topping can be placed in a small bowl.  The butter for the sweet potato bread should be placed in a large bowl (if you are using a stand mixer, place it in the bowl of the mixer).

If you forget to soften your butter ahead of time (as I sometimes often usually almost always do), don't sweat it.  If your stand mixer is heavy duty (like a KitchenAid) it will handle the two sticks straight out of the fridge no problem.  If you do not have a heavy duty mixer, soften the butter in your microwave for 10 or 15 seconds on HIGH.  The key word there is soften.  Do not melt the butter.  10 to 15 seconds should start you on your way.  For the 1/4 cup that the topping requires, 10 seconds should do the trick.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Grease two 9-inch loaf pans (or spray with non-stick cooking spray).

Gather your ingredients.

What?  No picture?  I took a picture of the ingredients, I swear.  I must've hit a wrong button when I was downloading and the picture disappeared.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour,

baking powder,

cinnamon,

nutmeg,

baking soda,

and salt.

Whisk to combine.

Ta-da!

In the bowl of your mixer, place the butter, sugar,

brown sugar,

and vanilla.  Cream together using a medium speed.

Like this.

Add the sweet potatoes.  If you're using them from a can, like I did, be sure to drain and rinse them.

Blend in the sweet potatoes.

Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl frequently.

With mixer on low speed, add in half of the flour mixture.  Mix until just incorporated, then add the remaining half of the flour mixture.  Combine just enough to blend it in.

Done.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans.  Which is not even at all, in my case.  I have two different-sized pans.

Prepare the topping.  If your butter has not softened enough, zap it for 10 seconds in the microwave.  Then add the sugar,

flour,

and cinnamon.

Stir with a fork to combine.

It will be all crumbly.

Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the batter in the pans.

Oops, I'm busted.  You can see the snowflakes peeking out on the side of my cake pan.

Other options for topping the cakes would be chopped nuts, or a light glaze when you remove them from the oven.  Or both.

Bake in your preheated 325 degree oven for 65 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean (no crumbs attached) when stuck in the centers.

Mine took exactly 70 minutes.

Let the bread cool in the pans, on a wire rack, or a trivet, or your stove top, or any other elevated grid which allows the air to circulate underneath and cool down your baked goods.  Give 'em about fifteen minutes to cool, and then remove them from the pans.

You can continue to let them cool down......... 

or serve warm, like we did.  Enjoy!