Ingredients

3/4    cup (175 mL) raisins
1/2    cup (125 mL) rum, preferably dark
2     large sweet potatoes
4     eggs
2     cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
1     cup (250 mL) canola oil
2     teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla
3     cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
1     teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
1     teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
3/4    teaspoon (3 mL) salt
1 1/2    teaspoons (7 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2    teaspoon (2 mL) grated nutmeg
3/4    cup (175 mL) buttermilk

Sugar Glaze:
1/2    cup (125 mL) tightly packed brown sugar
1/4    cup (50 mL) butter
3     tablespoons (45 mL) whipping cream
Rum from soaking raisins

Directions

Cake: Soak raisins in rum for 30 minutes or up to several hours. Peel sweet potatoes, halve them lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) slices. Cook, covered in salted water, until very tender. Drain and mash. Measure out 2 cups (500 mL) and let cool. Grease and flour a 10-inch (25 cm) tube or Bundt pan. In large mixing bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add sugar and beat together until light and thick. Add oil and vanilla; beat to blend. Drain raisins, reserving rum. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the rum to batter. Add sweet potatoes; mix thoroughly.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to batter alternately with buttermilk (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of wet). Fold in drained raisins. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 60 to 80 minutes or until a tester inserted near centre comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake onto the rack. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Glaze: In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and cream. Place on medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until mixture thickens a bit. Remove from heat and add remaining rum.

Place rack with cake on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drippings. Using a long skewer, poke holes all over top of cake. Spoon about half of the warm glaze over the cake. Allow remaining glaze to cool and thicken a bit (about 15 minutes); pour over cake, letting it dribble down the sides. Cool completely.


Note: This is an adaptation of a recipe by Regan Daley in her book, In the Sweet Kitchen (Random House, 2000).