Ingredients

1. 1 cup whole wheat flour
2. 1 teaspoon baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon salt
4. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5. 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
6. 1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
7. 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
8. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
9. 1 1/2 cups milk
10. About 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
11. Cranberry Relish

Directions

1. Make the sweet potato cakes: In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Add the sweet potato, cheese and thyme and toss. In a medium bowl, combine the egg and milk. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet. Working in batches, spoon rounded teaspoons of the batter into the skillet and flatten slightly to form 1 1/2 -inch cakes. Cook over moderately high heat until the bottoms are lightly browned and tiny bubbles form on the tops, about 2 minutes. Flip the cakes and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain and repeat with the remaining oil and batter. Arrange the cakes on a platter, top each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of the relish and serve. 
3.  

Make Ahead

The cakes can be layered between sheets of wax paper and refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat them in a 350° oven.