Sweet Potato ‘Yōkan’ Cake

Name: Sweet Potato ‘Yōkan’ Cake
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 Sweet Potatoes *about 500g after peeled; 1/4 cup Caster Sugar *You can add extra 1 to 2 tablespoons; 1 pinch Salt; 30 g Butter; 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract *OR 1 teaspoon Rum; 2 tablespoons Plain Flour OR Flour of your choice; 1 Egg *whisked

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

Melbourne, Australia

There is a Japanese sweet called ‘Imo Yōkan’, that is made with Japanese Sweet Potato. I have been trying to make it using Australian common orange-colour Sweet Potato in some traditional methods, and no method worked well. So, I decided to make it in a very different way. Finally, I am happy with this cake, and its texture is similar to cheesecake’s texture.

Hiroko Liston @hirokoliston

Saved

Ingredients

4 to 8 servings

2Sweet Potatoes *about 500g after peeled
1/4 cupCaster Sugar *You can add extra 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 pinchSalt
30 gButter
1/2 teaspoonVanilla Extract *OR 1 teaspoon Rum
2 tablespoonsPlain Flour OR Flour of your choice
1Egg *whisked

Saved

Steps

1

Peel skin of Sweet Potato, cut into chunky pieces, and steam for 20 minutes or until absolutely soft.
2

Place softly cooked Sweet Potato in the heat-proof mixing bowl. Add Sugar, Salt, cold Butter and Vanilla, and blend, using a hand blender, until smooth. Allow to cool slightly. *Note: You may wish to use a food processor.
3

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a loaf tin or small square cake tin, and line the base and sides with baking paper. *Note: Today I used a standard loaf tin.
4

Add Flour and Egg to the cooled mixture (still warm is OK), and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smooth the surface, and bake for 30 minutes.
5

Allow to cool in the tin. When cooled enough, chill in the fridge.