Daigaku Imo Pound Cake (Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake)

This Japanese Candy Potato Pound includes a plush and moist cake base, generously studded with candy and salty candy potatoes impressed by daigaku imo. Excellent for embracing the comforting flavours of autumn and winter!

It is that point of 12 months once more… it is candy potato season!! I am so excited 😈. I am already considering of all of the methods to eat Japanese candy potatoes aside from roasted Japanese candy potatoes (yaki imo), like this Daigaku Imo Pound Cake that’s my present favorite.

Desk of Contents

• The Inspiration
• What’s the reverse creaming methodology?
• Elements for Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake
• How you can make Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake
• Suggestions
• FAQ

The Inspiration

Japan has a robust custom of incorporating candy potatoes into varied seasonal desserts and snacks, particularly through the autumn and winter months. Candy potatoes, generally known as “satsumaimo” in Japanese, are celebrated in numerous culinary creations as a result of their pure sweetness and comforting style.

This candy potato pound cake is impressed by a preferred candy potato primarily based deal with you would possibly discover throughout this time referred to as Daigaku Imo, that are candied candy potatoes, sometimes coated in a crunchy, caramelized sugar glaze. It is a nostalgic and beloved deal with, particularly through the fall.

Many Japanese candy potato cake recipes name for small chunks of steamed candy potatoes all through or blended into the precise batter. I needed to carry extra of that daigaku imo flavour to this cake so the potatoes are first simmered in a candy soy caramel primarily based sauce and a little bit of soy sauce and mirin into the batter.

The cake is topped with black sesame seeds which is the last word pairing for satsumaimo!! After the cake has been baked and cooled, the candy potatoes change into virtually cream-like.

The bake bakes off extremely gentle and moist, due to the reverse creaming methodology.

What’s the reverse creaming methodology?

Whereas typical cake batters sometimes make use of the standard creaming methodology—whisking collectively butter and sugar earlier than integrating moist and dry substances—this cale recipe takes a definite strategy by embracing the reverse creaming methodology.

Right here, all dry parts, together with sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder, are mixed earlier than integrating softened butter and the remaining moist substances. This distinctive methodology entails the gentle butter forming a protecting layer across the flour, slowing down the gluten-forming course of that normally happens when flour meets moisture. This deliberate slowing leads to an exceptionally plush and tender cake with a crumb that’s each tight and light-weight.

Significantly favoured for wealthy muffins equivalent to pound muffins, this methodology imparts a dense, but ethereal texture. For this Japanese candy potato pound cake recipe, the reverse creaming methodology contributes to a lush and wealthy mouthfeel that contrasts the creamy candy and salty candy potatoes.

Elements for Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake

The bottom of this pound cake is tailored from my moms rum raisin pound cake recipe:

• Japanese candy potatoes
• Sugar
• Japanese gentle soy sauce
• Butter: I exploit dairy free butter, the upper the standard of butter the higher it is going to style.
• Eggs: For eggless choice, see notes below ‘ideas’.
• Almond flour: provides butteriness to the cake, and makes it style sort of like a Fiancier! It may be substituted with a seed flour or extra cake flour.
• Lemon juice or vinegar: the acid helps tenderize the loaf.
• Cake flour: all objective flour could be substituted, nevertheless the feel is not going to be as gentle
• Corn starch: including a bit extra corn starch makes the cake melt-in-your-mouth, however could be substituted for extra cake flour.
• Baking powder
• Black sesame seeds
• Rum & vanilla: for flavour, non-compulsory

How you can make Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake

Earlier than beginning something, be sure your substances are at room temperature! For a high quality, dense and plush crumb, I am utilizing the reverse creaming methodology for this cake. You too can make this cake utilizing the extra conventional sugar butter methodology in the event you favor.

1. Prepare dinner the potatoes: this may be performed both within the microwave or on the range.
2. Put together the batter: whisk all of the moist substances and sift all of the dry substances.
3. Reverse creaming: Add the butter to the bowl with the dry substances and use the paddle attachment to combine on low pace till sandy or crumbly. Add ⅓ of the egg combination and blend on medium excessive for a minimum of 2 minutes. Cease and scrape down the perimeters, after which add the remaining in 2 batches, mixing on low pace and scraping down the perimeters of the bowl every time.
4. Fill the loaf pan: Add a layer of cake, then candy potatoes, cake, candy potatoes and prime with sesame seeds.
5. Bake till inside temperature reaches 200 – 210 F (93 – 98 C).
6. Cool: maybe the toughest step, be sure to chill it fully and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or in a single day.

Suggestions

1. Prepare dinner the candy potatoes the day earlier than: Letting the candy potatoes hand around in the seasonings will make it extra flavourful.
2. Temperature of substances: Please use room temperature substances for this recipe, particularly for the butter and eggs (beneath are tough temperatures). For those who use cool substances the batter will break up and bake up dense and stodgy.
3. Mixing the batter: That is probably the most finicky half, ensuring to not below combine or over combine the batter. Each will end in a sunken or dense pound cake. When utilizing a stand combine, comply with the instances offered beneath. If utilizing a hand mixer, add 15-30 seconds to the instances and go by visuals (reference photographs above). The batter needs to be easy and never grainy or break up.
4. Aesthetics: Add the potatoes in random instructions for a pleasant dimensional look.
5. Bake till inside temperature is 200-210 F: Previously I’ve at all times performed the toothpick check however discover utilizing a thermometer extra dependable.
6. Refrigerate the cake: This cake tastes even higher the subsequent and second day because the flavours mingle collectively. Putting it within the fridge additionally makes it simpler to slice the cake cleanly. Serve chilly or room temperature.

Candy Potato Pound Cake FAQ

Can this candy potato cake be made vegan?

Sure, to make a eggless and dairy free model, swap the pound cake portion for my kabocha pound cake or vegan pound cake recipe. The picture above is utilizing the vegan pound cake recipe, it has a really shut texture to the one made with eggs, simply barely extra crumbly as a result of there is no such thing as a binder.

Can this candy potato cake be made gluten free?

I’ve not examined this for myself, nevertheless I do suppose it could work by swapping out the cake flour and corn starch for gluten free flour.

What sort and dimension of pan ought to I exploit?

I used a 7.5 x 3.5 inch (18 x 8.5 x 8 cm) / base measurements: 2.8 x 6.7 inch (16.5 x 7 cm) loaf pan within the photographs with adjusted quantities. Nonetheless for the recipe written beneath, I’ve offered measurements to suit 8 x 4 inch loaf tin that most individuals have. You may additionally bake this in a bigger loaf pan however it is going to bake up wider with much less top.

Can I substitute the Japanese candy potato with orange candy potatoes?

I’ve not examined this for myself however suppose it could work very well!

How do you retailer candy potato pound cake?

As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and preserve refrigerated for as much as 5 days. It can be frozen for as much as 2 months. Wrap every slice in plastic wrap and preserve in a freezer protected bag to stop freezer burns.

Get pleasure from!! For those who make this Daigaku Imo Pound Cake (Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake) recipe, let me know! Go away a remark, score and in the event you determine to share it on socials, tag me on instagram @Okonomikitchen. I would love to listen to from you 😁!

Print

Daigaku Imo Pound Cake (Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake)

This Japanese Candy Potato Pound includes a plush and moist cake base, generously studded with candy and salty candy potatoes impressed by daigaku imo. Excellent for embracing the comforting flavours of autumn and winter!

• Writer: Lisa Kitahara
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Prepare dinner Time: 65 minutes
• Complete Time: 85 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Class: Dessert
• Methodology: Baking
• Delicacies: Japanese
• Eating regimen: Vegetarian

Elements

Models
USM

Scale
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Candy Potato 

• 2 medium (375-400 g) Japanese candy potato
• ¾ cup (175 ml) water
• 5 tbsp (60 g) sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp (20 ml) Japanese gentle soy sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp (20 g) unsalted butter
• 2 tsp (10 ml) rum, non-compulsory

Cake

• ½ cup (112 g) room temperature butter (65 – 68 F / 18 – 20 C)
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup (85-90 g) room temperature eggs (68 – 72 F / 20 – 22 C)
• ½ tbsp (7 ml) mirin
• ½ tbsp (7 ml) Japanese soy sauce*
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vinegar
• ½ tbsp (7 ml) vanilla
• ¼ cup (28 g) high quality almond flour
• 1.5 tbsp (14 g) corn starch
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoon (87 g) cake flour
• ½ tsp (2.8 g) baking powder
• black sesame seeds

Directions

1. Prepare dinner candy potatoes: Reduce the candy potatoes into 1.5 – 2 cm inch items and soak in water for quarter-hour. Drain the potatoes. To microwave, add the potatoes again the bowl together with the water, sugar, butter, soy sauce and rum. The liquid ought to cowl a lot of the candy potatoes. Cowl with plastic wrap and microwave for five minutes. Rigorously take away the duvet and switch the potatoes over and microwave for an additional 2-4 minutes, or till you’ll be able to pierce a skewer by way of. To cook dinner over the range, add the potatoes to a pot (ideally with a large base and never overlapping) together with the remaining substances and simmer on low warmth for 15-20 minutes or till you’ll be able to simply pierce a skewer by way of. Let the potatoes soak within the combination whereas letting it cool. Tip: make the candy potatoes the night time earlier than to permit the flavours to soak in additional. As soon as cooled, take away the potatoes from the liquid and lower the bigger items in half. Reserve this liquid to brush over the cake on the finish (if it seems actually watery, cut back it over warmth till syrupy).
2. Pre-heat oven to 375 F (190 C). Put together loaf pan by lining or greasing and flouring. I exploit a 8 x 4 x 3.75 inch ((20 x 10 x 9.5 cm) and a base measurement of seven.2 x 3.4 inch  (18.5 x 8.75cm)) for this quantity of batter.
3. Put together batter: Add the eggs, mirin, soy sauce, vinegar and vanilla to a bowl and whisk to mix. Sift the flour, almond flour and baking powder to a bowl of a stand combine. Add the sugar and use the paddle attachment to combine on low pace till blended. Scatter the room temperature butter into the bowl and blend on low pace till crumbly. Add ⅓ of the eggs and blend on medium excessive for two minutes. Cease and scrape down the perimeters of the bowl. On low pace, add one other ⅓ of the eggs and blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down the perimeters and add the remaining ⅓ of eggs and blend for an additional 30-45 seconds, till easy.
4. Assemble: Add a bit lower than half of the batter to the bottom of the loaf pan. Add a layer of candy potatoes in random instructions. Add the remaining batter on prime and faucet the pan on the counter to take away any extra air. Add remaining candy potatoes on prime. Faucet the pan on the counter two extra instances to take away any air bubbles. Sprinkle with a beneficiant quantity of black sesame seeds.
5. Bake: Scale back the temperature to 340 F (170 C) and bake for 65-80 minutes for 8 x 4 inch pan (60-70 minutes for 7.5 x 3.5 inch pan), or till inside temperature of the cake reaches 200 – 210 F (93 – 98 C). Take away from pan and switch to wire rack. As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a single day.
6. Serve: When able to serve, brush the remaining syrup and revel in!

Notes

• I used a 7.5 x 3.5 inch (18 x 8.5 x 8 cm) / base measurements: 2.8 x 6.7 inch (16.5 x 7 cm) loaf pan within the photographs with adjusted quantities. I’ve scaled the recipe to suit a typical 8 x 4 inch loaf tin that most individuals have. 

Key phrases: japanese candy potato, pound cake