Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding

This is a vegan desert bursting with flavor, nutrition and loaded with potassium. The spices bring out an aroma during baking that is comforting and warm and reminiscent of childhood yearnings while mother was baking. What is great about this vegan dessert is that all the ingredients are readily available in your own pantry or grocery store.

Traditionally in Jamaica this pudding was baked in a tin pan placed over hot coals. The top of the pan was covered and more hot coals were placed on the top.  This way of cooking is reminiscent of long ago homes pre-dating ovens in many parts of the world.  However unique to Jamaica is that this style of cooking is referred to as  "hell a top, hell a bottom and hallelujah in the middle". This saying is so quaint and apt that it brings a smile to my face.  As a young girl in Africa I remember local households that cooked this way on coal cookers called a "jiko". I am sure that there are still many households around the world that still cook this traditional way.

While this pudding is traditionally done with the addition of raisins I did not use them, but you can add a cup of raisins if you wish to.  Alternatively, I think I will add chopped pecans the next time.

Note: While I chose to use a Bundt pan I highly recommend a round cake pan or square one.  If you are using a spring-form pan place it on a cookie sheet in the oven just in case the batter leaks.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potato
1 cup all purpose flour
1 400 ml can coconut milk, not light. ( add water to make it a total of 2 cups)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 tablespoon Rum or brandy (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar - I used Splenda brown sugar blend
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil or coconut oil
1 cup raisins or chopped pecans, nuts, or any dried fruit (optional)

 Method

Note: I cooked my sweet potatoes the night before so they were completely cool when I prepared the cake.

Place the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe dish .  Pierce all over with a fork or a sharp knife.  Add water up to 1/2 inch up the sides.  Microwave covered for approximately 20 minutes on high power till very soft when pierced.   

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Put the peeled, cooled and cooked sweet potato in a food processor and puree. (Alternately mash by hand).

In a separate bowl mix the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt  with a whisk to make sure that they are well blended.

Add the flour mixture to the mashed sweet potato in the processor and mix well.

Take the mixture out of the food processor bowl and place in a large mixing bowl.

Open the can of coconut milk and pour it into a measuring  cup.  Add enough water to make it 2 cups of liquid.

To the potato mixture you can now add the brown sugar, coconut milk, vanilla and liquor if using. Add the raisins at this time if you are using them.  Also add the oil. Whisk or stir well so that all the ingredients are blended well. 

Grease a baking pan.  I use a kitchen oil spray and I chose to use a Bundt pan but after I finished I felt that a round pan would be more ideal.  Pour the batter into the pan and put it in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it is done.  Leave it in the oven for 1 hour without opening the oven.  Then peek at it and if you feel it is burning on the top just gently place a piece of alunimum foil on the top of the pan.  I left mine in for  1 hour and 45 minutes.
The cake should be caramelized on the top and the sides leaving the pan. It might still be slightly jiggle but will gel nicely when cool.   A knife inserted in the middle should not come out with raw batter but should look like what slicing a pumpkin pie would look like on a knife.
Let the cake sit for 15 minutes and then remove it. Let it cool completely before slicing.

Serve a piece with chopped pecans or whipped cream...or eat it just as it is!!

Approximate nutritional information (without optional ingredients) based on 24 servings, and regular brown sugar

Amount Per Serving

Calories 70.5
Total Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 7.7 mg
Potassium 75.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Sugars 7.3 g
Protein 0.9 g