Sweet Sweet Potato Cream Cake
Making a 2-Tier Sweet Potato Cream Cake
A delightful sweet potato cream cake, perfect for a special occasion. This cake boasts a luxurious smoothness and a gentle sweetness that’s especially loved by elders. I made this for my mother-in-law’s birthday, and she absolutely adored it!
2-Tier Genoise (Cake Sponge)
- 3 Eggs
- 100g Sugar
- 90g Cake Flour
- 20g Melted Butter
Rich Custard Cream
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 60g Sugar
- 30g Cornstarch
- 300g Milk
- 10g Butter
Sweet Sweet Potato Cream
- 600g Mashed Cooked Sweet Potatoes
- 30g Butter, at room temperature
- 45g Honey
- 100g Heavy Cream
For Icing
- 150g Heavy Cream
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 60g Sugar
- 30g Cornstarch
- 300g Milk
- 10g Butter
Sweet Sweet Potato Cream
- 600g Mashed Cooked Sweet Potatoes
- 30g Butter, at room temperature
- 45g Honey
- 100g Heavy Cream
For Icing
- 150g Heavy Cream
- 150g Heavy Cream
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the genoise (cake sponge) that will form the base of your cake. It’s best to bake this in advance. The process ahead is a bit lengthy, but by following each step carefully, you’ll achieve a delicious cake! Let’s begin with making the smooth custard cream. Please measure and prepare all the ingredients for the custard cream accurately.
Step 2
In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Then, add the sugar and mix until well combined and the mixture becomes smooth without any lumps. It’s important to mix thoroughly so the sugar dissolves completely into the yolks.
Step 3
Once the yolk and sugar mixture turns ivory-colored and slightly thickened, add the cornstarch and mix well to avoid any clumps. Stir until the cornstarch is fully incorporated, then set aside for a moment.
Step 4
In a separate saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Be careful not to let it boil vigorously.
Step 5
Slowly pour the warmed milk into the yolk mixture from step 2, while whisking constantly. Add the milk gradually to prevent the yolks from cooking. Whisk continuously as you pour.
Step 6
Pour the combined yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a whisk for about 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Ensure you stir the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
Step 7
The custard is ready when it thickens enough that you can draw a line on the bottom of the pan with your whisk, and the line holds for a moment. Keep stirring to avoid scorching. Once it reaches this consistency, remove from heat.
Step 8
Strain the warm custard cream through a fine-mesh sieve. This step ensures an exceptionally smooth and silky cream texture.
Step 9
Spread the strained custard cream thinly in a shallow dish. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, ensuring there are no air bubbles trapped between the cream and the wrap. This prevents a skin from forming. Chill the custard cream in the refrigerator until cold.
Step 10
Now, let’s prepare the sweet potato cream. Mash 600g of pre-cooked sweet potatoes until smooth. Add 30g of softened butter (at room temperature), 45g of honey, and 100g of cold heavy cream. Mix everything together until well combined and creamy.
Step 11
Take the chilled custard cream out of the refrigerator and whisk it lightly to make it smooth again. Then, gently fold the sweet potato mixture into the custard cream until both are thoroughly combined into a beautiful sweet potato mousse.
Step 12
This is what the combined custard and sweet potato cream looks like – a smooth, delicious sweet potato mousse ready to fill your cake!
Step 13
It’s time for the cake assembly and icing! Your cake sponge should be completely cool. It’s ideal to bake the sponge the day before, as it makes handling much easier. Trim off about 1cm from the top crust of the cake sponge to create a flat surface.
Step 14
Place a cake collar or acetate strip around the bottom sponge layer. This will help contain the cream filling and give your cake a neat shape.
Step 15
Fill the prepared cake collar generously with the sweet potato mousse made in step 11. Smooth the top surface evenly with a spatula. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the cream to set firmly.
Step 16
Take the remaining cake sponge scraps (from step 12, excluding the browned edges) and crumble them into fine crumbs. These crumbs will be used to decorate the outside of the cake, creating a ‘castella’ effect.
Step 17
Carefully remove the cake from the refrigerator after it has chilled for at least 1 hour and the cream has set. Now, apply a smooth layer of icing over the entire cake – both the top and the sides.
Step 18
Gently press the cake crumbs prepared in step 15 onto the freshly iced cake, covering the sides and top evenly. Lightly pat them on to ensure they adhere well.
Step 19
Finally, whip the remaining heavy cream and pipe decorative swirls on top of the cake. Sprinkle with sliced almonds for a beautiful finish. Your elegant and delicious Sweet Potato Cream Cake is now complete!
