SWEET POTATO SPICE CAKE WITH HAZELNUTS & CANDIED GINGER

This is the most decadent cake I've ever made and yet, the cake itself is fairly mild in flavor. This is also the first time I tried vegan cream cheese, which I'm happy to report - I love! It's been decades since I've enjoyed cream cheese frosting, now the story changes.

I was also surprised that somehow the candied ginger zing mellows out once combined with the cream cheese & hazelnuts. Overall I received super reviews from friends & family and the cake was gone in one night!

I finely diced the candied ginger (instead of the long strips shown above) which created I think a more decadent final look of the cake. Also I used a white sweet potato, but I think next time, I'll try  a yam as shown above.

Cheers! 

This cake is similar to carrot cake—grated sweet potatoes make it moist and rich. The cake can be made up to three days ahead, but frost and garnish it within 12 hours of serving.

Cake

·         ½ cup raisins

·         3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 Tbs. baking powder

·         2 tsp. baking soda

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 tsp. ground cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

·         ⅛ tsp. ground cloves

·         ¾ cup vegetable oil

·         ½ cup dark brown sugar

·         ½ cup sugar

·         1 cup plain almond milk

·         2 Tbs. lemon juice

·         1 medium sweet potato, peeled and finely grated (3 cups)

·         ½ cup finely chopped candied ginger

·         ½ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Topping

·         1 8-oz. pkg. vegan cream cheese

·         1 Tbs. agave nectar

·         ½ tsp. vanilla extract

·         ½ cup finely chopped candied ginger

·         ½ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

1. To make Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

2. Place raisins in small bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes, then drain, and set aside.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in bowl. Whisk together oil, brown sugar, and sugar in separate bowl; whisk in almond milk and lemon juice.

4. Stir flour mixture into oil mixture with spatula until thick batter forms. Fold in sweet potato, candied ginger, hazelnuts, and raisins. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center of Cake comes out clean. Cool pan 10 minutes on wire rack, then unmold Cake onto wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make Topping: Whisk together cream cheese, agave nectar, and vanilla in bowl until smooth; spread over cooled Cake. Decorate top of Cake with candied ginger and hazelnuts.

November 2013 p.70 Vegetarian Times

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-spice-cake-with-hazelnuts-and-candied-ginger/

My version

What's Christmas without -

The Best Gingerbread Cookies!

Here is the best gingerbread cookie recipe I've found. Originally found on the Williams-Sonoma site over a decade ago, I had to tweak it to make it my own. Preparing this holiday treat has definitely become one of our family traditions. I like to share the baked cookies with friends & family & let them do their own decorations.

Prep & Cook Time: About 1 ½ hours, plus 1 hour to chill (I prefer to chill in refrigerator overnight.)

Makes: About 2-3 dozen delicious 3-4 inch cookies.

¾ C molasses

½ C oil

1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg (I use egg replacer)

2 ¾ whole wheat pastry flour

½ t sea salt

1 T baking powder

1 T cinnamon

½ t cloves

1 T ginger - I use finely grated fresh ginger root. Be careful not use the core, which is too fibrous.  Press ginger between toweling to remove excess moisture. I find using the real ginger root the cookie has more zing. You will have tiny fibers sticking out of the cookies, which doesn't bother me too much - I think it's a good trade-off for the flavor. If using the root, use 1 1/2 to 2 T

Beat w/mixer molasses, oil, brown sugar & egg (or egg replacer) until well blended. Add grated ginger if using root.

Mix flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger (if using ground dry ginger) & cloves.  Stir into molasses mixture, then beat until well blended.

Divide dough in half, gather into a ball, then form into a disk.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap & freeze for 1 hour or chill in refrigerator overnight. 

Remove dough from bag.  On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each disk to about ¼ inch thick.  With lightly floured cookie cutters, cut out cookies.  Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 min; if using parchment paper, cook for 10 min. 

Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. 

Enjoy & 5 more days to go...