Daigaku Imo Pound Cake (Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake)

This Japanese Candy Potato Pound incorporates 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 yr once more… it is candy potato season!! I am so excited 😈. I am already pondering 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 technique?
• Elements for Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake
• Learn how to make Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake
• Suggestions
• FAQ

The Inspiration

Japan has a powerful custom of incorporating candy potatoes into varied seasonal desserts and snacks, particularly throughout the autumn and winter months. Candy potatoes, often known as “satsumaimo” in Japanese, are celebrated in several culinary creations on account 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 throughout the fall.

Many Japanese candy potato cake recipes name for small chunks of steamed candy potatoes all through or combined 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 develop into nearly cream-like.

The bake bakes off extremely tender and moist, because of the reverse creaming technique.

What’s the reverse creaming technique?

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

Right here, all dry elements, together with sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder, are mixed earlier than integrating softened butter and the remaining moist components. This distinctive technique entails the tender butter forming a protecting layer across the flour, slowing down the gluten-forming course of that often 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 truffles corresponding to pound truffles, this technique imparts a dense, but ethereal texture. For this Japanese candy potato pound cake recipe, the reverse creaming technique 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 mild soy sauce
• Butter: I exploit dairy free butter, the upper the standard of butter the higher it would style.
• Eggs: For eggless possibility, see notes below ‘ideas’.
• Almond flour: provides butteriness to the cake, and makes it style form 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 might be substituted, nonetheless the feel won’t be as tender
• Corn starch: including a bit extra corn starch makes the cake melt-in-your-mouth, however might be substituted for extra cake flour.
• Baking powder
• Black sesame seeds
• Rum & vanilla: for flavour, non-compulsory

Learn how to make Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake

Earlier than beginning something, be sure your components are at room temperature! For a superb, dense and plush crumb, I am utilizing the reverse creaming technique for this cake. It’s also possible to make this cake utilizing the extra conventional sugar butter technique in the event you favor.

1. Cook dinner the potatoes: this may be executed both within the microwave or on the range.
2. Put together the batter: whisk all of the moist components and sift all of the dry components.
3. Reverse creaming: Add the butter to the bowl with the dry components 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 no less than 2 minutes. Cease and scrape down the edges, after which add the remaining in 2 batches, mixing on low pace and scraping down the edges 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 inner temperature reaches 200 – 210 F (93 – 98 C).
6. Cool: maybe the toughest step, be sure to chill it fully and refrigerate for no less than 4 hours or in a single day.

Suggestions

1. Cook 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 components: Please use room temperature components for this recipe, particularly for the butter and eggs (beneath are tough temperatures). Should you use cool components the batter will break up and bake up dense and stodgy.
3. Mixing the batter: That is essentially 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, observe the instances supplied 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 inner temperature is 200-210 F: Previously I’ve all the time executed the toothpick check however discover utilizing a thermometer extra dependable.
6. Refrigerate the cake: This cake tastes even higher the following 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 isn’t any binder.

Can this candy potato cake be made gluten free?

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

What sort and measurement 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 supplied 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 would 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 assume it might work rather well!

How do you retailer candy potato pound cake?

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

Get pleasure from!! Should you make this Daigaku Imo Pound Cake (Japanese Candy Potato Pound Cake) recipe, let me know! Depart a remark, ranking and in the event you resolve 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 incorporates 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
• Cook dinner Time: 65 minutes
• Whole Time: 85 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Class: Dessert
• Methodology: Baking
• Delicacies: Japanese
• Food plan: Vegetarian

Elements

Items
USM

Scale
1x2x3x

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 mild 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) superb 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. Cook dinner candy potatoes: Lower 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 many of the candy potatoes. Cowl with plastic wrap and microwave for five minutes. Fastidiously take away the quilt and switch the potatoes over and microwave for an additional 2-4 minutes, or till you’ll be able to pierce a skewer via. To prepare dinner over the range, add the potatoes to a pot (ideally with a large base and never overlapping) together with the remaining components and simmer on low warmth for 15-20 minutes or till you’ll be able to simply pierce a skewer via. Let the potatoes soak within the combination whereas letting it cool. Tip: make the candy potatoes the evening 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 appears to be like 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 combined. 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 edges of the bowl. On low pace, add one other ⅓ of the eggs and blend for 30 seconds. Scrape down the edges 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: Cut 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 inner 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 luxuriate 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 an ordinary 8 x 4 inch loaf tin that most individuals have. 

Key phrases: japanese candy potato, pound cake