Kūmara (also known as sweet potato) cake with buttercream frosting has the best taste and is the best dessert to share with friends and whanau on Matariki celebration. The good thing about Kūmara cake is that there are two kinds of Kūmara cake, the first one is the spicy and crispy kumara cake. The second one is the delightful, yummy, sweet cake. The recipe I am going to tell you today is the sweet cake one.

Ingredients:

Eggs – 3

Neutral oil – 1 cup

Brown sugar – 1 cup

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Crushed pineapple – 1 cup

Zest of ½ orange

Orange kūmara, grated – 3 cups

Plain flour – 3 cups

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Cinnamon – 1 tsp

Ginger, crushed – 1 tsp

Icing:

Butter, softened – 20 g

Cream cheese – 200 g

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Orange zest, plus extra to decorate – 1 Tbsp

Icing sugar – 1 ½ cup

Slivered almonds, to decorate – 3 Tbsp

Method:

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 170°C (fan-forced 150°C). Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl combine the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, pineapple and orange zest mixing well.

Step 3

In another bowl combine the kümara, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger, mixing well.

Step 4

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine. Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top. Place into the oven for 45 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Step 6

To make the icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.

Step 7

Add the zest and icing sugar, combining well. Spread over the cake and decorate with extra zest.