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Sweet Potato Cake Recipe

5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Yield 1 (9-inch) cake (8 servings)
Category Baking, Breakfast/Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Lauren Grant

Description

Spiced Sweet Potato Cake that can be served as a fall dessert or festive brunch coffee cake. Topped with a streusel and cream cheese glaze.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Purée

  • 1 large sweet potato, at least 1 pound

Cake

  • ¾ cup (157g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs (100g)
  • ½ cup (107g) olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons (41g) whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon (6g) pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups (240g) whole-wheat flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon (3g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) morton kosher salt

Streusel

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • cup (62g) packed light brown sugar
  • cup (40g) whole wheat flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze

  • ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon milk + more as needed

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425ºF (218C). Poke sweet potato all over with fork. Roast until soft, 45–80 minutes (depending on size). Remove and let cool. Reduce oven to 350ºF (176ºC).

Cake

  • Meanwhile, whisk together ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup oil, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
    foamy brown batter in a large glass bowl with a metal whisk set in it
  • Stir in 1 ¼ cups (207g) flour until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate while sweet potato cooks.
    caramel-colored batter in a large glass bowl
  • Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch round (or 8-inch square) baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a round of parchment paper to size of pan and lay flat in bottom of pan.

Streusel

  • Mix butter, ⅓ cup sugar, ⅓ cup flour, 1 ¼ teaspoons spice, and ¼ teaspoon salt until crumble and chunky.
    streusel in a shallow white bowl

Purée

  • Peel cooked sweet potato, add flesh to a mini food processor and process until smooth. (You can also mash by hand using a potato masher. Make sure you mash it until completely smooth.)
    Pureed sweet potato mixture in a mini food processor set on a white marble table
  • Add 1 cup sweet potato puree (222g), remaining ¼ cup flour (31g), 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt to batter; mix to combine.
    orange-hued cake batter in a glass bowl with a wooden-handled spatula
  • Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top and sprinkle streusel evenly over top.
    coffee cake with streusel on top in a parchment-lined round cake pan
  • Bake cake until puffed and golden, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cook cake in pan, on wire rack, for 15 minutes. Carefully remove cake and allow to cool completely on wire rack.
    baked coffee cake on a black wire rack

Glaze

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup cream cheese, 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Add additional milk, by teaspoon, until glaze is drizzle yet forms a ribbon in bowl.
  • Drizzle glaze over cake and enjoy.
    coffee cake on a black wire rack with a cream cheese drizzle on top

Video

Notes

To make lifting the cake out of the pan easier, we recommend laying a long thin strip of parchment paper underneath the parchment paper round in the cake pan. This way, when you're ready to life the cake out of the pan, you can use the strip of paper as handles. 
Storage: If you make this ahead of time, we recommend waiting to add the drizzle until right before serving. Store the cake at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Right before serving, reheat the cake in a low oven (300-degrees) until warmed through. Drizzle the cream cheese glaze over top and serve. 
Wrap leftover cake in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 7.5gFat: 22.5gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 277mgFiber: 5gSugar: 29g
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