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.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
- 230 grams pecans diced
- 30 grams egg white beaten with a fork
- 52 grams dark brown sugar
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Sweet Potato Cake
- 425 grams roasted sweet potato purée about 2 large sweet potatoes, no skin
- 282 grams all purpose flour 11% protein
- 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
- 149 grams sunflower oil or neutral oil
- 112 grams crème fraîche , room temperature
- 220 grams dark brown sugar
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 200 grams 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.
Video
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.