Sweet Potato (Baked Japanese Sweet Potato Cakes)
スイートポテト · Suīto Poteto
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Despite its English-sounding name, "sweet potato" (suīto poteto) is a Japanese confection: soft, buttery mashed sweet potato shaped into little cakes, brushed with egg, and baked until the tops turn lightly golden. It's a classic afternoon snack in Japanese preschools, and children love it because the natural sweetness of the satsumaimo does most of the work, so only a little sugar is needed. The texture is smooth and gentle enough for even the youngest eaters, and shaping the mixture into small oval cakes makes it easy for little hands to hold.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 75 gJapanese sweet potato (satsumaimo)A purple-skinned, pale-yellow-fleshed sweet potato that is sweeter, drier, and fluffier than orange varieties. Substitute: Any sweet potato.
- 4.5 gegg
Seasonings
- 1.8 gunsalted butter
- 3.6 gsugar
- 3.6 gskim milk powderMilk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
- 12 gwater
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- Japanese sweet potato (satsumaimo) (さつまいも)
- A purple-skinned, pale-yellow-fleshed sweet potato that is sweeter, drier, and fluffier than orange varieties. Substitute: Any sweet potato.
- skim milk powder (スキムミルク)
- Milk with the fat and water removed. Substitute: No skim milk powder? Leave it out and use milk in place of the water it is dissolved in, in the same amount (for example, 30 g skim milk powder + 130 g water becomes 130 g milk). Milk still contains milk, so this swap is not for a milk allergy.
Directions
- 1
Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into thick half-moons, and boil until soft.
- 2
Mash the sweet potatoes while they are still hot, then add the butter, sugar, and the skim milk powder dissolved in lukewarm water, and knead until smooth and well combined.
- 3
Shape the mixture into small oval logs, press them neatly into foil cups, and brush the tops with beaten egg.
- 4
Bake in a 190°C (375°F) oven for about 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 142.5 kcal | 285 kcal | 142.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 30.5 g | 60.9 g | 30.5 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 72 mg | 144 mg | 72 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 142.5 kcal | 2.4 g | 2.4 g | 30.5 g | 0.2 g | 72 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 285 kcal | 4.8 g | 4.8 g | 60.9 g | 0.3 g | 144 mg | 0.9 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
