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Top-down view of moist Southern sweet potato cake with cream cheese frosting on a white kitchen counter

Southern Sweet Potato Cake

Moist and spiced Southern-style sweet potato cake with cream cheese frosting.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Roasting Sweet Potatoes: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 380kcal
Cost: $12–15

Equipment

  • 2 9-inch round cake pans Greased & lined with parchment
  • 1 Electric mixer Hand or stand mixer
  • 2–3 Mixing bowls Large, medium
  • 1 Wire cooling rack For cooling layers
  • 1 Offset spatula For frosting
  • Measuring cups/spoons Standard set
  • Baking sheet For roasting potatoes
  • Parchment paper For pans & roasting

Ingredients

Cake Batter

  • 2 cups mashed roasted sweet potatoes Fresh, not canned
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour Sifted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar Packed
  • 3 large eggs Room temp
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup butter Softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk Room temp

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz cream cheese Softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Roast sweet potatoes until tender, then mash.
  • Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs one at a time.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
  • Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture. Blend until combined.
  • Fold in mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla extract.
  • Divide batter into prepared pans and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
  • Make frosting by beating cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until smooth.
  • Frost cooled cakes and serve.

Notes

Ensure sweet potatoes are completely cool before folding into the batter. This cake gets even better the next day!

Nutrition

Serving: 120g | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 8500IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg