Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Bread with Cranberries

Andrea Meyers - Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Bread with Cranberries

Yesterday the sun came out after Hurricane Sandy roared through. Some of our windows had steady leaks during the height of the storm, and some of our outdoor stuff got blown about, but otherwise we were very fortunate. Before the storm I went on a baking spree, something I always do so we will have supplies if the power goes out. We had whole wheat sweet potato cranberry bread, sweet potato pie, and a few other things ready in case of an extended power outage. Michael and the boys ate slices of this hearty bread for breakfast and snacked on it later, a nice bit of comfort while the wind howled and the rain drove in sheets.

Recipe Notes

Mashed sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree can be used interchangeably in many recipes, which is the case here. I started with whole wheat pumpkin bread and swapped in sweet potatoes. The texture of the cooked sweet potato is crucial. Baked is too dry, boiled is too wet, but cooked in a small amount of liquid will steam the potato tender without waterlogging it.

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WHOLE WHEAT SWEET POTATO BREAD WITH CRANBERRIES

Makes 1 loaf.

Equipment

small bowl
2-quart pot with lid
large mixing bowl
medium bowl
9×5 metal loaf pan, coated with cooking spray

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce/284 g) sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup (120 g) dried cranberries
2 cups (256 g) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (44 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. In the 2-quart pot, put the potato pieces in 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until fork tender, about 10 more minutes. Drain and allow the potato to cool to room temperature. Mash well.

3. Meanwhile, in the small bowl soak the cranberries in hot water until they are plump and soft. In the medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

4. In the large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating and scraping down the sides between each. Beat in the vanilla and the mashed potato, then stir in the dry ingredients until evenly moist. Drain the cranberries and stir them in.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bread. Turn the bread out onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.