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A slice of Sweet Potato Spice Cake topped with caramel glaze and chopped pecans on a white plate with a fork.
Maryam

Sweet Potato Spice Cake

Moist, warmly spiced cake that tastes like autumn in every bite, with sweet potato keeping it tender for days.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 1.5 cups mashed cooked sweet potato from about 1 large sweet potato, cooled
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cup buttermilk

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch Baking Pan
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Rubber spatula

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed sweet potato, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and no streaks of sweet potato remain.
  4. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in buttermilk, then add remaining dry ingredients and fold gently until no flour pockets remain. Do not overmix.
  5. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 40-45 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use parchment overhang to lift cake out and cool completely on the rack, about 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar or frost with cream cheese frosting if desired.

Notes

For the sweetest, most moist cake, roast your sweet potato instead of boiling it - the concentrated flavor makes a real difference. The cake keeps beautifully at room temperature for 3 days wrapped well; the sweet potato keeps it tender. For a simple glaze instead of frosting, whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk and 0.5 teaspoon vanilla until pourable.