Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour + 10 minutes for steaming the sweet potatoes

You’ve had sweet potatoes as fries or mash — but have you ever tried them in a cake? Despite the mouthwatering aroma that fills the kitchen, as locals will tell you, it’s best to wait until the next morning to enjoy it, once the vanilla has had time to deepen and mature.

More often eaten plain for breakfast or afternoon snack than as dessert, it pairs beautifully with whipped cream if you're planning a Réunion-style brunch.

Hints & Tips
(1) Adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of your sweet potatoes. If they’re deep orange, 200 g is ideal. For white or pale yellow varieties, increase to 250 g (about 1¼ cups).

(2) Rum is sometimes replaced with anise liqueur.

Step 1
Peel and rinse the sweet potatoes. Steam them in a pot until tender — about 10 minutes if cut into large cubes.
Drain and mash them while still hot.

Step 2
Add the butter immediately while the mash is warm, then stir in the sugar and eggs. Mix well.

Step 3
Incorporate the flour.

Split the vanilla pods lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a knife. Add both the seeds and the rum to the batter. Mix thoroughly.

Step 4
Pour the mixture into a greased and sugared (or floured) cake pan.

Brush the top with egg yolk and use a fork to create a traditional crosshatch pattern — like you would on mashed potatoes or shepherd’s pie.

Step 5
Bake at 170–180 °C / 350 °F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150 °C / 300 °F and bake for another 40 minutes.

Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.