Potato cakes are very popular since they are easy to make and very delicious. They turn the ordinary mashed potato dish and put a spin on it, making it a buttery treat that everyone knows and loves. A great way to put a new twist to this delicious dish is by using sweet potatoes.

Follow these simple steps and create your own sweet potato cake.

Cake ingredients:

• 2 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 and ½ cups or 3 sticks of margarine
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 2 and ½ cups of mashed and cooked sweet potatoes
• ½ cup of drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts

Cream cheese icing ingredients:

• 16 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup of softened butter
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans or 3 8-inch pans and set them aside.
2. Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and granulated sugar together in a large bowl.  Using a mixer, beat the cream margarine and brown sugar on low speed. Increase the speed to medium and beat until it is well-combined. You can then gradually add the dry ingredients and beat them on low speed. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after adding each egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each. Add the vanilla, sweet potatoes, pineapple, raisins and walnuts and blend them together at a low speed.
3. Pour the batter into the pans and smoothen the surface using a metal spatula. Bake for about 1 hour or 1 hour and 10 minutes. Test it by touching the center of the cake; if it springs back, it is ready. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then invert it onto a rack for it to cool completely.
4. To prepare the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until it is smooth. Add the vanilla and gradually add the sugar while beating on low speed.
5. Place 1 cake layer with the top side down on a cake platter. Spread a layer of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake evenly using a metal spatula. Place the next layer on top with the rounded side up and frost the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for roughly an hour to set the layers. You may then sprinkle walnuts on top of the cake should you desire to do so.