Sweet Potato Cake with Coconut Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

1 can (16 ounces) sweet potatoes in heavy syrup
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain spice cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean or sunflower
1 teas. ground cinnamon
Coconut pecan cream cheese frosting (see recipe)

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Set pans aside.
Mash sweet potatoes with syrup in large mixing bowl using fork or potato masher. Add cake mix, eggs, oil and cinnamon. Blend with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping sides down again if needed. Batter should look well combined and thickened. Divide batter between prepared pans, smoothing with rubber spatula. Place pans in oven side by side.

Bake cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your fingers and just start to pull away from sides of pan, 28 to 31 minutes. Remove pans from oven and place on wire racks to cool 10 minutes. Run dinner knife around edge of each layer and invert each onto rack, then invert them again onto another rack so that cakes are right side up. Cool to room temperature.
 

Meanwhile, prepare frosting.
Place one cake layer, right side up, on serving platter. Spread top with frosting. Place second layer, right side up, on top and frost top and sides of cake with clean, smooth strokes. Makes 16 servings.

Note: Place cake, uncovered, in refrigerator until frosting sets, 20 minutes. Cover cake with wax paper and store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Or freeze it, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw cake overnight in refrigerator before serving.

Coconut pecan cream cheese frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoon  (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teas. pure vanilla extract
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup finely chopped pecans
Place cream cheese and butter in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Stop machine. Add powdered sugar, a bit at a time, blending with mixer on low speed until sugar is well incorporated, 1 minute.
Add vanilla, then increase mixer speed to medium and blend frosting until fluffy, 1 minute more. Fold in coconut and pecans.
Use at once to frost top and sides of cake of your choice. Makes 3½ cups, enough for a 2- or 3-layer cake.