Sprinkle Me Happy Cake

Sprinkle Me Happy Cake

Serves 32.

A delicious cake!  I picked the recipe originally because it had some of the wee one's favorite things in it -- sweet potatoes, bananas, and pineapple.  But then, after trying it myself, I realize it was all of my favorite things too.  The taste is similar to a carrot cake merged with banana bread.  Very dense, very moist, very delicious.  I will definitely be making this again!
To make the tiny tiered cake shown above, I did the following: Cut the recipe in half.  Pour batter into a standard loaf pan and a mini loaf pan.  Of course, I threw away my sheet with the times on it, but I believe they were around 40-50 minutes for the standard loaf and 25-35 for the mini?  Once cakes have cooled, I cut each loaf in half, making 4 squares.  From those, I assembled my TWO tiered cakes... one for each of the wee one's 1st birthday parties.
Slightly adapated from: Good Housekeeping magazine, May 2012

4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 5)
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/2 cups peeled, shredded uncooked sweet potatoes (about 9 oz.)
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (juice pack), drained
Your favorite buttercream frosting

Allow eggs to stand at room temperature 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, grease three 8' by 1-1/2" square baking pans.  Flour pans, shaking out excess; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In very large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cloves.  Stir in bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla just until combined.  Fold in shredded sweet potatoes and drained pineapple.  Evenly divide batter among prepared pans; spread evenly.

Refrigerate one layer.  Bake two layers on one rack for 50-55 minutes, until layers are set in center when gently shaken and tops are golden.  Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove layers from pans.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Bake and cool third layer.

Place one layer on serving plate.  Frost top with 1 cup vanilla buttercream.  Add second layer; spread top with 1 cup buttercream.  Top with final layer.  Frost top and sides.