Dave Lieberman's Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Buttered Rum Glaze

I've made a new commitment to The Wife.  To keep some kind of sweet readily accessibly on the counter - some kind of cake or brownie or something so that when she gets a sweet tooth during the day, she has something to reach for, and will think of me.

I was looking around for something to make this week, keeping in mind what we had in the pantry and came across this recipe - and I'm so glad I did.  First - it's easy to make.  Second - it's dense and deliciously moist (of course, I shortened the cooking time by 15 minutes.)  Third - it's not too sweet, the sweet potato provides a subtle background sweetness, but it's not a sugary sweetness.  Think the taste of fall.  The real sweetness comes from the glaze.  Your first taste will make you pause and think.  You expect it to be sweeter - but as you're pondering, you'll find your fork inching toward the cake for your second bite - and you won't give it a second thought.  Then you'll find yourself cutting off small pieces for breakfast, and an evening snack.  And in a matter of days you'll wonder where the cake went.  And then you'll make it again.

I followed the recipe pretty dead on, but I omitted the raisins - just not my thing and I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil because it was what we had.  Other than that - and shortening the cooking time by 15 minutes, it's pretty straight forward.  The recipe below is as I cooked it.  Dave's can be found here.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups Flour

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 1/2 cups cooked Sweet Potato Meat

3 Eggs

3/4 cup warm Water

1 3/4 cup Sugar

1 cup Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Walnut pieces

Ingredients for the Glaze

1/2 stick of butter

3 tablespoons Spiced Rum

2 cups Confectioner's Sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 and grease and flour your bundt pan.

In a bowl, mix together your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside.  In your stand mixer (or in a large bowl with mixers) mash your cooked sweet potato, leaving it a little meaty - not quite pureed.  Whisk your eggs into the sweet potato.  Whisk in your warm water into the egg and sweet potato mixture - then the sugar, oil and vanilla extract.  Next, add your flour mixture, a little at a time so you don't end up wearing it, then add your walnuts.  

Bake for 45 minutes - or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Set cake aside and let cool.

While your cake is cooling, make your glaze.  Simply melt the butter and rum, and once they're melted together add you sugar - 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate each time.  

Drizzle the glaze over your cake once it's cooled a bit.

Enjoy!