Japanese Sweet Potato Cakes
Japanese Sweet Potato Cakes
Sweet potatoes, about 2 medium or 400 grams
40 grams butter (about 2-3 tablespoons), softened
70 grams sugar (about 1/3 of a cup)
One egg yolk
2 T cream
Flour
For flavoring - a splash of rum, or a generous teaspoon of vanilla essence, or cinnamon. We love vanilla.
One more egg yolk for brushing on top of the cakes before baking.
*Note:
All measurements are approximate and leave much room for flexibility!
I'm not much of a measurer. A few potatoes, a dollop of butter, a splash
of cream - this is how I bake these and it turns out fine. These are
more forgiving than other baked goods. So don't worry about this part
too much and definitely don't feel you need to race out to buy a cooking
scale! I happen to own one because Japanese recipes call for them.
Directions:
Roast
your sweet potatoes in the oven until they are soft (around 45 minutes at 400F for me), then cut in half
and scoop out the insides into a bowl. If you mix in the butter right
away there is no need to wait for it to soften, as the heat of the
potatoes will do it for you.
Mix in the egg yolk, cream, sugar, and
flavoring of your choice, and mash all together with a wooden spoon
until creamy. Kids love doing this part!
Now add enough flour to bind it
all together so that you can mold it without it losing its shape. Add
flour only a little at a time, because you want the dough to remain
creamy and soft. Some recipes don't even call for any flour at all but I
think it is helpful. I probably added about 1/2 a cup in the end
altogether.
Put your cakes on a greased
cookie sheet (I usually use parchment paper instead of grease) and then
brush the tops with egg yolk. Pop them in the oven at 350 for about
15-20 minutes, and enjoy!
