Get the sweet potatoes baked. (Takes one to two sweet potatoes, depending on size.) Cook and mash. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour two round 8-inch cake pans. Combine dry ingredients in a medium-size bowl.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a large bowl. Gradually mix in the sugars then add eggs. Whisk milk and mashed sweet potato together. Add the milk/sweet potato mixture alternately with the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in nuts, if using. Divide cake mixture between the pans. Bake at 350-degrees for about 30 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Frost with either a buttercream or cream cheese frosting.