Sweet Potato Visitor Bread

My daughter's church has a sweet tradition for greeting visitors. Each visitor is given a small loaf of some kind of treat, such as banana bread or pumpkin bread. My daughter had volunteered to bring a few loaves last Sunday, but realized that she wasn't going to have time after all. She asked me if I would make some little loaves for her, and I decided to give visitors a real southern welcome with sweet potato bread.

This bread is tender and moist, and has a pretty golden-orange tint to it. It may remind you of pumpkin bread, but it has a sweet, warm flavor all its own. Autumn spices work beautifully with sweet potato- you'll want to put Sweet Potato Visitor Bread on your fall baking list! 

Sweet Potato Visitor Bread  Print
Makes four 2.75" X 6" small loaves

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
1/3 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray four 2.75" X 6" loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine sugars, butter, and oil. Stir vigorously until well combined. Add eggs and sweet potato and beat until smooth and well-combined.
4. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour, stirring just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake for about 36 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs attached. Let cool on wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack.  Store tightly covered.

If you are using disposable pans like I did, just let the loaves cool completely in their pans, leave them in pans and wrap well in plastic wrap, foil, etc.

All dressed up and ready to go

Cook's notes: to prepare the sweet potatoes, prick whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes and microwave until soft. Let cool and scoop flesh out of skins and into bowl. Mash well with fork, then measure. Oven-roasted sweet potatoes would have an even nicer, richer flavor.

I found the little paper baking pans at King Arthur Flour~

If you're serving Sweet Potato Bread at home, trying serving it with
Praline Sauce:

You might also enjoy Pumpkin Bread:

Sweet Potato Visitor Bread may have been shared at some of these fun parties.

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