Get the Recipe:Sweet Potato Loaf with Sweet and Spicy Pecans
This bread is a nice change from the usual pumpkin bread and is delicious and moist. The pecan topping features homemade sweet and spicy glazed pecans on top of a caramel drizzle.
1 3/4cupscake flour, *See Note below to make your own
1/2tspsalt
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
For Topping:
3Tbspcaramel sauce, or dulce de leche, homemade or store-bought
1/4cupchopped Sweet and Spicy Glazed Pecans
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Instructions
Make the Sweet and Spicy Pecans: Preheat oven to 300° F. In a small bowl, mix sugars, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps. Set aside. Beat the egg white and water until frothy but not stiff. Add the pecans to a bowl and drizzle with about half the egg white mixture and stir to coat evenly. (*Note half should be enough to coat the pecans. If not, add a bit more. You can discard any left-over egg white mixture). Sprinkle nuts with the sugar mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and separate nuts as they cool. Allow to cool completely then set aside (place in an airtight container if making ahead).
For the Sweet Potato Bread: Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease an 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom, the long sides and extends an inch or so over the long side edges. Set aside. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until soft and cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes.
Scoop out flesh into a blender or food processor; discarding the skin. Add milk and purée until smooth. Scrape the potato mixture into a medium bowl and return 1 1/3 cups of the mixture to the blender. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and dark brown sugar and purée until smooth. Scrape into a large bowl.
Lower the oven to 325° F. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in three batches to avoid overworking the flour. Make sure batter is fully mixed.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in oven, rotating once, until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.
Run the dull side of a bread knife along the ends of the loaf pan. Un-mold the bread and drizzle with caramel. Sprinkle with chopped Sweet and Spicy Pecans and press down lightly so they stick in to the caramel.
Notes
*Make your own cake flour for this recipe: measure out 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour. Remove 3 1/2 Tbsp. of the flour. Add 3 1/2 Tbsp. of cornstarch. Sift together 3 or 4 times to ensure it is well combined.Be sure to read the “Ingredient and Cook's Notes" (above the recipe card!), where I share more detailedtips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!