Sweet Potato Pound Cake

After a delay of 2 weeks, I finally got down to baking my sweet potato pound cake.  And it is a resounding success!  My family enjoyed it and my collegues/ friends had no major complaints.  Here's  the recipe I got from "All Cakes Considered" and I tweaked as usual on the butter/ sugar amount, substituted the milk and pecan nuts.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake
4 medium sweet potatoes (baked for 75mins, centre rack at 160 deg C, cooled, scraped and mashed)
224g (1 block) unsalted SCS butter

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 large eggs

31/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp double action bakng powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup rice milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp maple syrup

1 peeled and diced Granny Smith green apple

For the Topping

1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 cup walnuts

1.  Position rack at middle of oven and preheat at 160 deg C.  Line the bottom of 10-cup tube pan with parchment paper and spread the pan with oil and cover finely with plain flour.  Remember to remove excess flour.

2.  Cream butter at medium speed.

3.  Combine the 2 sugars and add to the creamed butter, 1/2 cup at a time, for 1 minute each round.

4.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating at medium speed for 1 minute each time.

5.  Reduce the speed to low and add mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup at a time.

6.  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

7. Similarly, mix together rice milk, vanilla and maple syrup.

8.  Alternate the mixing of 1/2 cup of flour mixture with 1/2 of the milk mixture. Beat well till properly mixed for every addition. 

9.  Scrap down with spatula and blend for 2 minutes till the batter is well mixed.

10.  Lower speed to the lowest and add in the green apples.  Stop once well mixed.

11.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth out batter with spatula.

12.  Sprinkle the topping (blended into crumbs using wooden spoon).  Bake till set for 75 minutes.

Batter Just Before Baking

Cake Done, Cut Up and Ready for Eating! Yum!

Fear

What exactly is fear? And how does it manifest in us? Is a person
inborn to be shy and retiring or does nurture plays a part? Both, in
my opinion. The human being is a wondrous creature. We actually have
the sixth sense with the ability to detect fear. That is when you have
the goosebumps and your hair starts to stand. Your throat goes dry and
you palpitate madly.


Our sixth sense guides us as a precursor of things to come. It warns
us to prep ourselves to "fight" or "flight" using the classic phrase.
Humans also scare themselves for fun and this comes in haunted houses
or thrill rides like roller coasters. About 14 years ago I enjoyed
such activities, very much on fact. But, a ride which I was not
prepared for; yes, that's freaking what happened to me. And
henceforth, sweaty palms become de rigueur when I approach any signs
that goes "xxxx ride - queue 20 mins".


This year, this is one of the items I intend to overcome and with the
upcoming family trip being planned and which possibly involve theme
parks, I will venture on bravely.


Fear is also that feeling one feels when doing something that one has
failed before. Chiffon cake is my bane due to an egg white-overbeaten
case. It is the next cake I will do as greedy me really love this
confectionery. Swimming is something I had successfully overcome as I
increased the frequency of its activity. So, hurray for that!


Fear is also that feeling that drives you to try new things and
prevent you from resting on your laurels. Just like climbing. I have
a fear of heights but after passing level one, I find that things are
not too bad or scary after all. And that is when I realized the
familiar feeling of fear is real but often overestimated. What you
fear and what you actually encounter is often not as bad as one
thought. It is a constant reminder to me to bite the bullet and face
the music even when things seemed tough and insurmountable. And with
that my growth in character and maturity is assured.

Thank god!