With pureed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, warm cozy spices, and a thick layer of vanilla cream cheese frosting, this Sweet Potato Cake has become my favorite cake this fall – and quite possibly of all time.
Plus, it’s really easy to make – and an absolute crowd pleaser!
The Story Behind the Recipe
I love a good snacking cake! Something that cooks up perfectly in an 8×8 pan is ideal, like this chocolate wacky cake or banana spice cake.
This time, I wanted to create a cake that made use of the humble sweet potato. I know sweet potato pies are a thing, but sweet potato cake?! Mashed sweet potato makes a thick, rich puree, similar to pumpkin, and I knew the rich depth of sweet potatoes would be enhanced perfectly by dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger.
I also had a hunch that sweet potato puree would result in a wonderfully moist cake with a perfect crumb – and I am so pleased that hunch proved true! This tender, moist sweet potato cake is SO delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Easy to make. Yes, you need to bake your sweet potatoes first, but it’s a pretty hands-off task. I love the idea of incorporating baked sweet potatoes for dinner, and baking some extra for this cake a day or two later. But otherwise, it’s a simple situation of mixing together the wet ingredients, then the dry, then folding them together and baking. Easy peasy.
- Travels well. Just cover and go! Plus, if you take this to a friend’s place or a potluck, you’ll be the most popular person there.
- Unique yet familiar. Sweet potato cake is not something you see every day, but it’s super comforting at the same time. Similar to pumpkin cake but richer with deeper notes of flavor.
Sweet Potato Cake Recipe Ingredients
For the cake:
- Sweet potatoes – You’ll need 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 1 pound total.
- Vegetable oil – I love how moist and tender vegetable oil makes cakes. If you prefer, you can use canola oil. For a less-refined option, coconut oil or melted unsalted butter will also work.
- Granulated sugar & brown sugar – I like a combo of both granulated white sugar and some dark brown sugar for rich, deep flavor.
- Eggs – You’ll want three large eggs.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract adds a mellow sweetness.
- Flour – I like to use all-purpose flour for this sweet potato cake for a nice tender crumb.
- Baking powder & baking soda – Leaveners add lift to the cake.
- Spices – Gground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
- Salt – I like to use fine-grain sea salt in my baking because you don’t get little bits of salt (like when you use a coarser salt like kosher). Table salt will work too.
For the frosting:
- Butter – You’ll want to start with unsalted butter. Make sure it’s at room temp so it whips up easily.
- Cream cheese – Leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before starting so that it softens.
- Salt – Just a bit of sea salt to help counter the sweetness of the sugar.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract adds the perfect flavor to cream cheese frosting. I love it!
How to Make Sweet Potato Cake
- First, you’ll want to bake your sweet potatoes. Here is a tutorial for perfect baked sweet potatoes – they’re easy! Bake them for around 40 minutes, until soft. Let them cool, then peel them and add them to a large mixing bowl.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher until smooth. You should have about 2 cups worth of mashed sweet potatoes, or 456 grams. I like to measure or weigh just to be sure, but I find that one pound worth of sweet potatoes is just right.
- Add the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla to the baked potato puree. Mix together until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt to a medium bowl and whisk it together.
- Dump the dry ingredients over the wet, then mix it tighter just until combined.
- Spread the batter into a greased 8×8 baking pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-50 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool.
- Make the cream cheese frosting, then frost the cake with a thick layer of the frosting. Yum!
Tips for Success
- Don’t overbake! Bake your sweet potato cake JUST until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you bake it for too long, it can end up being a bit dry.
- Whip your cream cheese. When making the frosting, don’t skip the step of whipping the butter and cream cheese first. Otherwise, your frosting could end up lumpy.
I hope this Sweet Potato Cake is a massive hit for you and your loved ones! It has been a smashing success in our family, and I foresee many years of making this cake over and over again.
Spiced Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
A warmly spiced, cozy cake with the perfect tender crumb! A generous lid of vanilla cream cheese frosting seals the deal.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato cake:
- 2 cups mashed cooked orange sweet potatoes (2 medium sweet potatoes; 456 grams)
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil, or your favorite neutral oil [can use coconut oil or melted butter])
- 1 cup granulated sugar (215g)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (113g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5g)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (6g)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (12g)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger (4g)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (1g)
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (7g)
For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened; 1/2 cup; 113g)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened; 226g)
- 1/8 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar (460g)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (10g)
Instructions
Make the cake
- First, bake the sweet potatoes. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Scrub your sweet potatoes and dry them. Rub with olive oil and prick each one 2-3 times with a fork. Bake until soft, 30-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
- Reduce the oven heat to 350°F. Spray an 8×8 cake pan with non-stick spray or rub with butter or vegetable oil.
- Peel cooled sweet potatoes and add them to a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher to mash them until smooth. You should have about 2 cups worth of mashed sweet potatoes potatoes, or 456 grams. I just make sure I have about a pound of cooked sweet potatoes I'm adding.
- Add the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together, switching to a spatula once the mixture is too thick. Mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Make the frosting
- Place butter, cream cheese, and salt into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients together until smooth and a little fluffy. Sift the powdered sugar in. Mix on low speed, increasing to medium as the powdered sugar gets mixed in, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the vanilla. Mix it in with the hand mixer, continuing to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Top the cooled cake with frosting and spread evenly with an offset spatula or butter knife.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
* Cooking time is for both the cake and the sweet potatoes.
Storage notes
Store cake in the refrigerator. It should last around 5 days.More Cake Recipes
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Hi! I’m Karen – I’m a real person with real recipes. No A.I. here! Since 2009, every recipe on Kitchen Treaty is thoroughly tested and loved before I hit “publish.” I’m a home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m a vegetarian married to a carnivore, and my goal is to coexist deliciously.
