Spicy Sweet Potato Cornbread

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Use up a bumper crop of seasonal sweet potatoes with this moist, tender cornbread. Don’t forget the spiced sorghum butter—it takes it over the top.

Spicy Sweet Potato Cornbread
 
Makes 1 (10-inch) loaf
Ingredients
  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed well and pricked all over with a fork
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ cups whole buttermilk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • Spicy Sorghum Butter (recipe follows)
Spicy Sorghum Butter
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
  1. Microwave sweet potatoes on high until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, turning potatoes halfway through cooking. Carefully halve potatoes lengthwise, and let cool, cut side up. Peel potatoes, and mash pulp until smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°. Add oil to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, and place skillet in oven until hot, about 5 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and red pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup mashed sweet potato, eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter until well combined. Stir potato mixture into cornmeal mixture until combined.
  4. Remove hot skillet from oven. Carefully spread batter into skillet.
  5. Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Serve hot with Spicy Sorghum Butter.
Spicy Sorghum Butter
  1. In a small bowl, stir together butter, 1 tablespoon syrup, salt, and red pepper until smooth and well combined. Lightly swirl remaining 1 tablespoon syrup into butter mixture.