Brandon Kumabe, a product manager at HMSA, wasn’t looking for potluck inspiration, but rather, inspiration found him. One day, Kumabe opened an email with an Okinawan sweet potato crunch recipe and thought the local-style dessert might be a perfect potluck dish for an upcoming party. Kumabe, a novice baker and cook, figured he’d give the recipe a shot, and if the dessert didn’t come out as expected, storebought chips would be an acceptable Plan B.
Luckily, Kumabe’s haupia crunch was a hit at his potluck; friends wiped the dessert pan clean. His days of bringing storebought potluck offerings became a thing of the past as friends and family requested Kumabe to bring the dessert to their next gathering.
Inspiration struck a second time, when Kumabe decided to tweak the recipe, subbing out the cream cheese topping for a cool haupia layer, making the already delicious dessert even more refreshing.
Read more on how you can whip up your own version of Kumabe’s haupia crunch for your next family dinner, party, or potluck.
Brandon Kumabe with a pan of haupia crunch.
HAUPIA CRUNCH
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. Okinawan sweet potato
- 1 13.25-oz. box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. ginger
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 13.5-oz. cans coconut cream
- 2 8-oz. blocks butter, melted
- 1 8-oz. box haupia mix
Instructions
Peel Okinawan sweet potatoes and dice. Place the diced potatoes in a medium pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook 15-20 minutes until tender.
In a mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix and macadamia nuts. Set aside.
Drain sweet potatoes in a colander to remove excess water and add to a medium mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes.
Add sugar, ground ginger, salt, coconut cream, and raw eggs and mix with sweet potatoes until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the cake mix and macadamia nut mix over the sweet potato layer.
Use a spoon to pour melted butter over the top of the cake mix evenly.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
When the sweet potato crunch portion is cool, loosen the sides with a butter knife to ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the pan. Place a cutting board on top of the pan and flip the cake pan upside down.
In a small pot or bowl, make haupia mix according to its instructions. Let the mix cool so it starts to thicken slightly.
Pour the haupia mixture over the top of the sweet potato crunch evenly and refrigerate when cool.
Cut into squares and enjoy!
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