CRANBERRY SWEET POTATO NUT CAKE

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups cooked, mashed plain sweet potatoes*
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts and or pecans, toasted
3/4 cup chopped cranberries
4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Perheat oven to 350 F.

1. Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch fluted tube pan; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In a very large bowl beat sweet potatoes and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Beat in sugar. Add flour mixture, beating until combined. Fold in walnuts and cranberries.

3. Transfer 1/3 (about 2 1/2 cups) of the batter to a large bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Spoon half the remaining plain batter into prepared tube pan. Spoon chocolate batter on batter in the pan. Spoon remaining plain batter on chocolate batter. Using a thin metal spatula swirl batter slightly to create a marbled appearance.

4. Bake in oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; invert cake onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

5. If desired, sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes 16 servings.

*NOTE: For 2 cups plain mashed sweet potatoes, peel 1 pound of sweet potatoes. Cut into 2 to 3 inch pieces. Cook pieces covered in enough boiling water to cover for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain well. Mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer until smooth.