High Altitude Sweet Potato Lime Snack Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Erika Bruce of Milk Street Cafe, who adapted it from a traditional Macanese dessert called Batatada, this flavorful cake excels at any time of day. The sweet potato and ground coconut flakes add moisture, richness, and incredible flavor, while the lime juice’s tartness balances it out. Honestly, I could eat it for breakfast and as an afternoon snack, and still not get enough of it.
Erika Bruce’s version calls for a microwaved and chopped sweet potato, but I personally prefer baking a large sweet potato and scraping out the flesh. This results in a softer sweet potato, which not only makes it easier to puree and combine with the other ingredients, but also adds more moisture to the cake.
The Milk Street recipe calls for a food processor to combine all of the ingredients. Many food processors, however, can’t handle such a high amount of liquid without leaking, so I instead prefer to combine the processed ingredients in a large bowl. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender to grind the coconut, and a potato masher to mash the sweet potato flesh.
Finally, one quick note about the coconut: the easiest way to measure coconut oil is by weight. If you don’t have a scale, I recommend melting the coconut oil and then measuring out ⅓ cup. Also, unrefined/virgin coconut oil is preferable to the refined version because the prominent coconut taste is more desirable for this particular recipe, but either type works.
High Altitude Sweet Potato Lime Snack Cake
Makes one 9” (23 cm) square snack cake—scroll down for a larger 9”x13” (23x33 cm) rectangle version
Adapted from an Erika Bruce Milk Street Cafe recipe
1 large sweet potato (~14-15 ounce or 397-425 grams), baked until soft
½ cup less 1 tablespoon finely shredded unsweetened coconut—1.3 ounces or 37 grams
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour—4.8 ounces or 136 grams—see note on accurately measuring flour here
1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground ginger
1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) baking soda
¾ teaspoon (4.5 grams) kosher salt
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed—3.8 ounces or 108 grams
½ tablespoon lime zest
2 large eggs
⅓ cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly—2.3 ounces or 65 grams—plus more for greasing pan
½ cup whole milk —4 ounces or 113 grams
1½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice—0.75 ounce or 21 grams
2 teaspoons (11 grams) vanilla extract
Lime Glaze:
1½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice—0.75 ounce or 21 grams
½ cup confectioners sugar—2 ounces or 57 grams
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9” (23 cm) square pan with coconut oil.
Scoop out the soft flesh from the baked sweet potato and reserve 1 cup of the mashed mixture (~8.3 ounces or 235 grams).
Add the shredded coconut (unsweetened!), flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor, and process until the coconut is finely ground (~2 minutes). Transfer puree to a small bowl. Add the lime zest and the brown sugar to the processor and whirl it just long enough to infuse the brown sugar with the lime zest. Add the sweet potato flesh and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk and the aforementioned puree, then stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the lime juice, coconut oil, and vanilla. When combined stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and spread the top flat. Bake 30-35 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven until it passes the toothpick test ~190°F—200°F (88°C—93°C). While the cake bakes, prepare the glaze by whisking together the lime juice and confectioners sugar (don’t worry if it’s a little lumpy; the hot cake will melt the lumps). Spread the glaze evenly over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
High Altitude Sweet Potato Lime Snack Cake
Makes one 9”x13” (23x33 cm) rectangle snack cake
Adapted from an Erika Bruce Milk Street Cafe recipe
~1 pound 6 ounces (624 grams) sweet potatoes, baked until soft
⅔ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut—2 ounces or 57 grams
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour—7.1 ounces or 201 grams—see note on accurately measuring flour here
2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground ginger
1½ teaspoons (6 grams) baking powder
⅓ teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6 grams) kosher salt
¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed—5.7 ounces or 162 grams
¾ tablespoon lime zest
3 large eggs
½ cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly—3.5 ounces or 99 grams—plus more for greasing pan
¾ cup whole milk—6 ounces or 170 grams
2¼ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice—1.1 ounces or 31 grams
1 tablespoon (17 grams) vanilla extract
Lime Glaze:
2¼ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice—1.1 ounces or 31 grams
¾ cup confectioners sugar—3 ounces or 85 grams
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9”x13” (23x33 cm) rectangular pan with coconut oil.
Scoop out the soft flesh from the baked sweet potatoes and reserve 1½ cups of the mashed mixture (~12.5 ounces or 354 grams).
Add the shredded coconut (unsweetened!), flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor, and process until the coconut is finely ground (~2 minutes). Transfer puree to a small bowl. Add the lime zest and the brown sugar to the processor and whirl it just long enough to infuse the brown sugar with the lime zest. Add the sweet potato flesh and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk and the aforementioned puree, then stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir in the lime juice, coconut oil, and vanilla. When combined stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the mixture (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and spread the top flat. Bake 35-40 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven until it passes the toothpick test ~190°F—200°F (88°C—93°C). While the cake bakes, prepare the glaze by whisking together the lime juice and confectioners sugar (don’t worry if it’s a little lumpy; the hot cake will melt the lumps). Spread the glaze evenly over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
