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Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Caramel Benne Seed Glaze, Orange Chantilly Cream, & Ginger Benne Seed Brittle

Runner-Up {Dessert} Carol Cummings
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INGREDIENTS: 
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potato (2 medium or 1 large sweet potato)
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup chopped crystalized ginger
  • Zest of 1 orange

For the Glaze:

  • 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

For the Orange Chantilly Cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ tsp. orange extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbs. sour cream

For the Ginger Benne Seed Brittle:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 1 ½ cups toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add sweet potato and vanilla and mix well.

Add dry spice mixture to sweet potato mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Fold in crystalized ginger and orange zest. Pour batter into pan. Bake for one hour, or until cake pulls away from sides of pan.

Remove cake from oven, place on a cooling rack, and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving platter.

For the Glaze:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugars and salt and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in cream and bring to a boil. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly until glaze coats the back of a spoon. Add sesame seeds and pour glaze over warm cake.

For the Orange Chantilly Cream:
Combine cream, vanilla, and orange extract in a chilled bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium speed for one minute. Add sugar and sour cream and beat on high until soft peaks form, about three minutes.

For the Ginger Benne Seed Brittle:
In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar, syrup, water, and butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 300°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda, ginger, and sesame seeds. Pour onto buttered jellyroll pan and spread out evenly. Allow to cool, then break into pieces.