This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Roasted sweet potato cake is a rich fall cake made with pureed sweet potatoes, a layer of candied pecans and caramel, with a brown butter buttercream frosting. A tender version of the classic Southern sweet potato bundt cake. If you love pumpkin desserts, you’ve got to try this one for you next fall party!
This cake recipe is a version of my Pumpkin Sheet Cake, but transformed into a layer cake using a lighter brown sugar frosting, and sweet potato in place of pumpkin. The flavor really shines through by roasting the sweet potato and the subtle crunch of candied pecans adds a little tasty surprise.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Purée – Grab a few chunky sweet potatoes, pierce them with a knife and roast until tender. Remove the skins and blend the flesh into a smooth orange purée the consistency of canned pumpkin.
- Pecans are diced into small pieces, coated in an egg white, sugar, and spices and roasted until tender. Candied pecans have a slight crunch that is still soft enough to blend nicely with bites of cake.
- Test Note: Chop them to about the size of peas or even finer like a crumble. I used large pieces in the middle of the cake and sprinkled smaller ones on top.
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Dark brown sugar adds caramel-like notes and keeps the cake extra moist, while a bit of granulated sugar helps lighten the sweetness so it’s not too heavy.
- Almond Flour & All Purpose Flour: The addition of almond flour with the all purpose flour creates a moist, tender crumb.
- Autumn Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves): This cozy quartet is what makes the cake taste like fall. Cinnamon adds warmth, ginger a gentle zing, nutmeg a hint of nuttiness, and cloves that unmistakable spicy depth.
- Crème Fraîche: Think of this as the secret ingredient that makes the cake extra luxurious. It adds creaminess and tang, balancing the sweetness and giving the crumb a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Test Note: Sour cream can be substituted, but crème fraîche has a lovely richness all its own.
- Sunflower Oil: Oil-based cakes stay super soft and moist, even after a day or two. Sunflower oil adds a light, slightly nutty undertone, but feel free to swap for another neutral oil.
- Homemade Caramel Sauce: A generous drizzle of caramel sauce on top of the candied pecans between the two cake layers takes this Fall cake experience up a notch.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cake
- Make the caramel sauce and candied pecans ahead.
- Whisk together the flours, spices, and leaveners in a medium bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugars, sunflower oil and crème fraîche until smooth. Then whisk in the eggs one at at time, followed by the vanilla a sweet potato purée.
- Add half the flour flour mixture to the wet mixture gently folding until combined, followed by the other half.
- Divide the batter into two 9-inch cake pans, level the batter with an offset spatula and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for about 38-40 minutes.
Layer Cake Assembly
- Once the cake layers are cool, place one layer on a serving plate. Cover the top with a generous layer of brown butter frosting and pipe a ring of frosting around the edges to create a small wall.
- Fill the center with candied pecans and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce. Then, place the second layer carefully on top.
- Cover the top of the second layer with frosting.
- Spread frosting over the sides of the cake and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle toasted pecan crumbs across the top of the cake for contrast.
Helpful Tips
Make Ahead:
- Roast and puree the sweet potatoes ahead of time, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to bake. Bring to room temperature before mixing into the cake batter.
- Caramel sauce and candied pecans can also be made ahead. Store the caramel sauce in a jar in the fridge, warm slightly for assembly. The pecans can stay at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Assembly Tips:
- Cool Cake Completely: Wait for the cake to cool completely before frosting, or the chocolate buttercream will melt.
Storage & Leftovers
- Room Temp: The frosted cake can stay out at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Chill: Place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The frosting will firm in the fridge. Allow cake to warm up to room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Candied Pecans: Store the cooled baked candied pecans in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Homemade Caramel Sauce: Caramel sauce should be stored in a sealed jar and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. It will thicken in the fridge, so warm slightly before cake assembly.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Roasted Sweet Potato Cake
Roasted sweet potato cake is a rich fall cake made with pureed sweet potatoes, a layer of candied pecans and caramel, with a brown butter buttercream frosting.
Click for Ingredient Details
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
- 230 grams (2 cups) pecans, diced
- 30 grams (1 large) egg white, beaten with a fork
- 52 grams (¼ cup) dark brown sugar
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Sweet Potato Cake
- 425 grams (1 ¾ cup) roasted sweet potato purée, about 2 large sweet potatoes, no skin
- 282 grams (2 ½ cups) all purpose flour, 11% protein
- 72 grams (½ cup) almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 149 grams (⅔ cup) sunflower oil, or neutral oil
- 112 grams (½ cup) crème fraîche, , room temperature
- 220 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 200 grams (4 large) eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
Caramel Sauce
- Homemade Caramel Sauce, *or store bought
Instructions
Candied Pecans
- Preheat oven to 300℉ (150℃) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat the egg white with a whisk or fork until slightly foamy. Place the pecans pieces in a medium bowl and toss with the egg white for an even coating.230 grams pecans, 30 grams egg white
- Add the sugars, cinnamon and salt and mix again until the pecans are well coated.52 grams dark brown sugar, 50 grams granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Spread the pecans onto the prepared baking sheet and bake on the middle oven rack for about 35 minutes, stirring a couple times during baking for an even roast. Pecans will look darker, more crispy, and smell amazing!
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Keep the pieces large or blitz them in a food processor for a finer texture. I used large pieces between the cake layers and smaller on top.
Roasted Sweet Potato Purée
- Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Take 2-3 sweet potatoes and pierce all over with a fork or small knife. place on the baking tray and roast on the middle oven rack for about 45-50 minutes. When the sweet potatoes are well roasted and the center flesh is soft, remove and let cool completely.
- Peel away the skin and scoop out the soft potato flesh. Place in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Store in airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Weigh and measure out 425 grams (1 ¾ cups) of purée for the cake, save any leftovers for another recipe. Make sure its room temperature before folding into the cake batter.425 grams roasted sweet potato purée
Sweet Potato Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Whisk together to evenly distribute and set aside.282 grams all purpose flour, 72 grams almond flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Using a separate larger bowl with a handheld electric mixer on medium low speed, mix together the sunflower oil, creme fraiche, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.149 grams sunflower oil, 112 grams crème fraîche, 220 grams dark brown sugar, 200 grams granulated sugar
- Mix in the sweet potato purée and vanilla, followed by the eggs one at a time to form a smooth liquid mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.425 grams roasted sweet potato purée, 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, 200 grams eggs
- Mix in half the flour mixture at a time until just combined. This can be done with the handheld mixer or by folding with a spatula.
- Divide the batter into the prepared pans. Level the batter across the pan with an offset spatula, or give it a little shake to level.
- Transfer the pans to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-38 minutes.
- Baking times vary depending on your oven, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the pans from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. This may take up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry, after 30 minutes at room temperature you can place the pans in the fridge to help speed up the cooling process.
Buttercream Frosting
- Make the brown butter buttercream frosting while the cake layers are cooling.1 batch Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting
Assembly
- These cake layers are moist and fragile. I place a small piece of parchment paper on top and the carefully place my flat hand or flat plate on top to invert the pan. Peel away the parchment paper and then flip the cake layer back, right side up on a serving plate.
- Cover the top with a generous layer of brown butter frosting and pipe a ring of frosting around the edges to create a small wall.
- Fill the center with enough candied pecans to mostly cover the frosting. Then take a spoon and cover the nuts with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Place the top layer of cake over the fillings. Pipe or spread the remaining frosting to cover the cake. Sprinkle the top with more candied pecans before serving.
Notes
- Oven: This recipe was written for a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). For convection fan ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness 75% of the way through baking.
- Storage:
- Room Temp: The frosted cake can stay out at room temperature for 2 days in an airtight container.
- Chill: Place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The frosting will firm in the fridge. Allow cake to warm up to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
