Sweet Potato and Walnut Cake

Recipe SIMONE BUTLER, Key Restaurant Chef

This is a delicious but heart friendly cake. It is quick and easy to make, using yoghurt instead of butter. I avoid using white sugar, and sweeten it with honey , fructose, xylitol , or a mixture of honey & fructose or any of the sugar replacers instead. If using honey alone, use 3/4 cup instead of one whole cup.
Vegans can replace yoghurt with coconut yoghurt and leave the eggs out.

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Ingredients:
1 cup peeled and grated sweet potato
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1½ cup plain white flour or 1 cup plain white flour and ½ cup wholewheat flour
1 cup sweetener of your choice (i.e. fructose, xylitol, rapadura, etc)
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup plain yoghurt (fat free or full fat)
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten lightly (optional)

Method:
1. Sift the flour together with the baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add all the spices and salt and stir well.

2. Add the yoghurt, the oil, and the sweetener and mix together with a wooden spoon.

3. Add the beaten egg and vanilla extract, mix thoroughly and then fold in the grated sweet potato and walnuts (if using).

4. Grease a 23cm pie dish or a loaf pan /cake pan and spread the cake mix in the pan or dish. Put in oven for about 30 – 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and firm in the centre. Test using a skewer to make sure cake cooked through ( when the skewer comes out clean).

If you used just honey, the cake might be a bit wobbly in the middle. Put some baking paper over the top after 20 minutes in the oven and cook a bit longer until the cake firms up in the middle, i.e. 40 minutes.

PS. For the festive season you can replace the grated sweet potatoes with the same quantity of chopped/diced apples instead.