Sweet Potato Layer Cake With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 medium
• 3 cups Softassilk cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with fork; place on small baking sheet. Roast potatoes until soft, about 1 hour. Cool, peel and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes; cool to lukewarm, reserving any remaining potatoes for another use. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans; line pans with parchment. Sift flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, combine oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then add mashed sweet potatoes. Whisk in flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in 2/3 cup pecans and 2/3 cup cherries.

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

Recipe makes one 2-layer cake.

Frosting

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons pineapple-orange-banana juice concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in confectioners sugar, scraping down bowl often. Beat in pineapple-orange-banana juice concentrate and vanilla.

Cut around sides of pan; turn out cakes. Peel off parchment. Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Combine orange peel, 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining ¼ cup pecans and ¼ cup cherries in a small bowl. Stir to coat with sugar. Transfer to a sieve; sift off excess sugar. Sprinkle fruit and nut mixture decoratively over top of cake.

Chill until frosting sets, at least 2 hours. Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with a cake dome; keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Garnish

• 1/4 cup diced candied orange peel
• 3 tablespoons sugar