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Suiito Poteto (Japanese Sweet Potato Cakes)

The Japanese bakery classic: baked satsumaimo pressed through a sieve, beaten with butter, cream, sugar, and egg yolk, shaped into small ovals, glazed with yolk and baked until the tops brown.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword suiito poteto
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 cakes

Ingredients

For the Cakes

  • 1 ½ pounds Japanese sweet potatoes (satsumaimo) about 3 medium, weighed before peeling
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar adjust to the sweetness of your potatoes
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream plus more as needed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon mirin or an extra ½ teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine salt

Glaze and Finish

  • 1 large egg yolk beaten with ½ teaspoon water or milk
  • 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds

Instructions

Bake and Sieve

  • Bake the whole unpeeled sweet potatoes on a foil lined sheet at 375 degrees F for 60 to 75 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and a skewer meets no resistance.
  • Split them while hot, scoop the flesh into a bowl, and press it through a fine mesh sieve or a ricer until completely smooth.

Make the Mixture

  • While the puree is still warm, beat in the softened butter until it disappears.
  • Beat in the sugar, egg yolks, honey, mirin, vanilla, and salt.
  • Add the cream one tablespoon at a time, stopping when the mixture is smooth and stiff enough to hold a peak. Chill 20 minutes if it feels soft.

Shape and Bake

  • Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a sheet with parchment. Divide the mixture into 8 portions of about 2 tablespoons each.
  • Shape each portion into a small oval about 3 inches long with a domed top, then drag a fork lengthwise across the top for ridges.
  • Brush the tops and sides with the thinned egg yolk, avoiding pooling at the base, and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
  • Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the tops are browned in patches. Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Sieve the mash: Pressing the hot flesh through a fine sieve is what gives the bakery texture.
  • Use satsumaimo: Japanese sweet potatoes are dry and chestnut like. With an American orange sweet potato, cut the cream to 1 tablespoon, the sugar to 3 tablespoons, and bake the potatoes 10 minutes longer.
  • Granulated sugar only: Brown sugar dulls the yellow color.
  • Shell version: Scoop the halves leaving a 5 mm wall, mound the mixture back in, glaze, and broil 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Storage: 2 days at room temperature, 5 refrigerated, 1 month frozen. Refresh at 325 degrees F for 6 minutes.