To Make the Cinnamon Streusel Filling:

1. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, fine sea salt, and chopped pecans (if using) to a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.
2. Cut the cold butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the sugar mixture.  Use fingers or a pastry cutter to break up the butter pieces until they are no smaller than a pea.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To Make the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
3. Combine the sweet potato puree and the maple syrup in a medium bowl or deli cup. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut the vanilla bean pod lengthwise. Use the knife to scrape the vanilla beans from the pod.
5. Place the granulated sugar in another medium bowl. Add the vanilla beans and massage the beans into the sugar. Alternatively, you can add the sugar to a deli cup, add the vanilla beans to the sugar, securely place the lid on the deli cup, and shake to your heart’s content! For an extra bit of vanilla flavor, you can place the empty vanilla bean pod in the sweet potato mixture until you’re ready to add the mixture to the batter.
6. Add the room-temperature butter to the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl.  Mix with your hand mixer or stand mixer until the butter is completely smooth.
7. Add the sugar mixture and cream until the butter and sugar are light and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
8. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg until completely incorporated.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
9. If using pure vanilla extract, add the vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. (If using vanilla beans, you can omit this step.)
10. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
11. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the sweet potato mixture. Add all of the sweet potato mixture and mix until just combined.
12. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter several times to ensure everything is incorporated.
13. Prep a 12- or 15-cup bundt pan as you normally would. 
14.  Add half of the batter, then make a “moat” in the batter for the streusel mixture. Place as much of the streusel mixture in the moat as you’d like; there will be some that comes out of the moat, and this is okay.  Use a toothpick or a small spoon handle to gently swirl the streusel mixture into the batter.
15. Add the second half of the batter over the top of the first.
16. Bake for 70-80 minutes in a true 325°F oven, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 212°F-215°F.  
17. Allow to cool on a wire rack for ten minutes, then invert the cake and remove from the pan.

To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1. Add the water, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil just until all of the solids are dissolved. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
3. Allow the simple syrup and the cake to cool completely, then brush the simple syrup on to the completely cooled cake.

To Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Place the room temperature cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until completely smooth.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 ½ tablespoons of whole milk. Using a small whisk, stir to combine. Do not be fooled into adding additional ingredients too quickly! The more you stir, the more the glaze will come together.
3. If absolutely necessary, add up to two more teaspoons of whole milk, ½ teaspoon at a time. Stir until the glaze has the consistency of thick honey.
4. Using a spouted measuring cup, squeeze bottle, or spoon, pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake. If desired, top with decorating sugar.
5. Enjoy!