Sweet Potato Cake
This spiced cake with layers of fluffy, vegan buttercream is easily our favorite thing about fall.
By Beverly Lynn Bennett
As leaves begin to turn and a chill sharpens the air, this outrageously delicious cake will warm your home with our favorite fall spices.
Makes two 8-inch cake layers
What You Need For The Cake Batter:
- 3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1-1/4 cups unbleached cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potato purée
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup safflower oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
What You Need For The Vanilla Buttercream:
- 2/3 cup margarine
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted and divided
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and divided
What You Do:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans. For the batter, in a large bowl whisk together pastry flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Add sweet potato purée, water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla and whisk well to form a smooth batter.
- Evenly divide cake batter between prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes in pans. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool 10 minutes, remove from cake pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, in a large bowl beat margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. With beaters going, slowly add powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds. For the filling transfer one-third of the frosting to a small bowl, add 1/4 cup each toasted coconut and pecans, and stir well to combine.
- To assemble cake, place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread the filling evenly on first layer. Place remaining cake layer on top. Frost the sides and top of the layer cake with frosting, as desired, and then sprinkle the remaining toasted coconut and pecans over the top.
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Posted: Oct 26 2009 12:22PM By Ruchama
I made this for Shabbat lunch. I could not find pureed sweet potatoes, so I microwaved a few and made my own. I used a bundt pan. (Joy of Vegan Baking has an excellent section on how to switch pans.) Instead of the elaborate and very sweet frosting, I made a simple glaze from confectioner's sugar and fresh squeezed orange juice and shredded the zest on top. I decorated the platter with oranges halves surrounding the cake. My guests literally could not get enough Even people who usually don't eat desserts kept coming back for more. So even without the elaborate frosting, this is a real winner.
Posted: Nov 05 2009 07:17AM By Courtney
This recipe is awesome! I made little sweet potato cupcakes with it, but I used the vegan buttercream frosting recipe from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World," and omitted the coconut and pecans. A dozen of them were devoured in minutes at a halloween party, while someone else's store-bought cupcakes never got touched!
Posted: Nov 16 2009 14:23PM By Khara Ashburne
I made this as a bundt cake and did a vegan cream cheese frosting with the pecans drizzled on top...it was DELISH! I sure wish sweet potato puree was available year round...no fair...
Posted: Nov 22 2009 11:38AM By Colleen @ VegNews
I just made this already-phenomenal cake with pumpkin puree instead of sweet potato, and it came out just as amazing! Makes for a nice Thanksgiving dessert.
Posted: Nov 26 2009 14:47PM By Stephanie
I just made this for the first time ever and it's FANTASTIC! *continues happily licking batter while BEST. THANKSGIVING. CAKE. EVER. bakes*
Posted: Dec 23 2009 09:29AM By nichole
I'm just about to make this recipe for a Christmas cake, but... 1 Tbsp baking SODA, not powder?? I have never seen a cake recipe without baking powder in it.. what will make it rise? hmmmmm
Posted: Dec 31 2009 17:04PM By Linda B
Nichole, The combination of Baking Soda and the acid in the Vinegar will make the cake rise.
Posted: Jan 19 2010 09:27AM By gisela
I made this over the weekend and everyone absolutely loved the frosting, which I modified and used 3 1/4 cups instead of 4 cups of confectioner's sugar (I thought the 4 cups would make it way too sweet). However, everyone commmented that although the cake was really moist, it was missing something like more cinammon or other spice. I definitely would try making this cake again but I will add more spices or maybe I'll just make the frosting and use it on a more flavorful cake like a spicy vegan carrot cake.
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