High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallows

For many of us, the holidays mean celebrating with friends and family in a cozy mountain cabin. So for this Thanksgiving, how about trying this High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallows?

This cake is a real crowd-pleaser. It combines the flavors of a holiday favorite – sweet potato and marshmallow casserole – into a glamorous package worthy of special occasions. (Plus, in my opinion, marshmallows belong as part of a dessert. They are just too sweet for a side dish!)

Now, while the first sweet potato casserole dates back to the early 1900s, this High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallows has only been in my rotation for a few holiday seasons. Many of those Thanksgivings and Christmases were spent at altitudes 5000 feet plus. Thus, I had to make some adjustments to this recipe to accommodate for the altitude.

So why is cooking in the alpine more challenging than at sea level? At high elevations, the air pressure is lower, and liquids boil at a lower point. This can cause faster evaporation and, consequently, things to dry out. Additionally, leavening agents (baking powder) can expand too fast before the dough is strong enough to support the air pockets that make cakes, bread, and cookies nice a fluffy.

Keys to Baking at High-Altitude

The recipe below is already adjusted for higher elevations, but here are a few tips you might find useful when adapting your favorite recipes for baked goods.

1. Use high-protein flour. Above 3000 feet isn’t the time to use delicate cake flours. Higher protein flours, like good ol’ AP, can help improve the structural strength of the cake.
   
2. Slightly increase the baking temperature. Quicker boiling temps, mean quicker evaporation and, thus, can lead to a dry cake. Try increasing the baking temperate by 25 degrees to speed up the end-to-end process.
   
3. Hold back on the sugar. Sugar actually weakens the formation of gluten and can cause the cake to collapse. Decrease the sugar content to find the right balance between sweet and stable.

For more tips on cooking both savory and sweet dishes at altitude, check out this article from my resources section.

This recipe starts with making your own sweet potato puree. Simply roast peeled and chopped sweet potatoes in the oven for about an hour, cool, and pop in a blender, food processor, or even mash with a fork. Making your own puree is not only simple but keeps this cake free of preservatives.

Lastly, and unfortunately, there is no one perfect recipe for baking at altitude. While this High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallows recipe has worked great for me at locations from 4000 to 6500 feet, feel free to experiment with the balance of ingredients to find what works for you. When you find the right balance, share it with your neighbors or even in the comment section below!

4.84 from 6 votes

High-Altitude Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Servings 12 people

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Sweet Potato Roasting Time 1 hour hr

Equipment

• Candy Thermometer

Ingredients

For the cake…

• 1 1/2 lbs Garnet sweet potatoes
• 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granuated sugar
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup vegtable oil

For the frosting…

• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

For the cake…

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with fork. Line baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes. Let potatoes cool slightly. Remove skins and mash with food processor or with fork.
• Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Grease and line 3 8-inch can pans.
• Combine flour, salt, baking powder and spices. Set-aside.
• Cream together eggs and sugar. Add in orange zest, vanilla, and oil. Fold in sweet potatoe. When thoroughly combined, stir in the flour mixture.
• Divide the mixture between the cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes.
• Remove cakes from oven and let cool completely.

For the frosting…

• Start a small saucepan of 2-inch deep water simmering on the stove. Add egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl on top of the saucepan.
• Whisk mixture constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.

To assemble…

• Trim tops of cakes to even. Stack cakes with a generous portion of frosting in between layers. Frost with a generous portion on top. Add homemade marshmallows for decoration and toast with a cooking torch.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cabin Life, Farm, Special Occasion, Sweet

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @bewildeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bewildeats.