This one-layer sweet potato cake starts with roasted Garnet sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and a warm mix of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, with sour cream for a soft, tender crumb. To finish, it's topped with a lightly sweetened whipped mascarpone.
I developed this sweet potato cake recipe after learning about sweet potato farming from California grown. One of things I learned is how much flavor and natural sweetness sweet potatoes add to baked goods.
Instead of cream cheese, I decided on a whipped mascarpone frosting because I like the richness against the sweetness of the cake.
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Cheryl's Baker's Notes
- Why I roast the sweet potatoes. Roasting the potatoes cooks off moisture and concentrates the natural sugars, so you get a sweeter sweet potato and a thicker puree. Boiling them adds water. I also roast the potatoes my sweet potato muffins, and my sweet potato pie.
- Weigh the sweet potato puree. I like to weigh things. To ensure the best and most consistent results, start by weighing the sweet potatoes to ensure you have enough, then weigh the puree mainly to ensure you don't have too much.
- The spices go in with the butter and sugar. The flavor compounds in ground spices dissolve in fat, so creaming them with the butter carries them through the whole cake. This is the method I use for most of my recipes that contain a lot of spices.
Sweet Potato Cake Ingredients
The recipe for this cake is based on a regular butter cake. To that recipe, sweet potatoes and warm spices are added to punch up the flavor.
- Garnet Sweet Potatoes: This type of sweet potato has more sugar and deep orange color that gives this cake it's all-natural color. Look for medium-sized sweet potatoes because they will roast faster and be sweeter. Don't burn the potatoes because you lose too much moisture and have less puree.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: Sour cream makes for a tender and really moist cake. I prefer it to buttermilk, but if you don't have sour cream, you can substitute with a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cake
The first step in this recipe is to bake the sweet potato. I prefer to bake the potato instead of boiling or microwaving it. Baking the sweet potato doesn't add additional water as would happen with boiling and allows time for the natural sugars to develop. The sweet potato is done when you are able to squeeze the potato and it gives easily.
Step 1: Bake the sweet potatoes until they are tender.
Step 2: Puree the sweet potato until smooth.
Step 3: Cream the butter, sugar, and spices until creamy.
Step 4: Mix in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated.
Step 5: Mix in the sweet potato puree until thoroughly combined. The mixture will look a little curdled, but that is okay.
Step 6: Alternate the addition of the flour mixture and sour cream, ending with the flour mixture.
Step 7: Scrape the bowl and mix for a few more seconds to ensure the batter is thoroughly combined.
Step 8: Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Step 9: Bake the cake until it is risen and done in the center. Use a toothpick or instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
How to Make the Whipped Mascarpone (Thick & Creamy)
I love whipped mascarpone as a cake frosting and topping. This recipe is made using mascarpone, honey, and heavy cream. It's easy to make and ready in minutes.
Step 10: Mix the mascarpone and honey until well combined. Add the heavy cream and mix on medium speed until soft peaks form.
Tips for Successfully Making This Cake
- The puree must be at room temperature. Warm puree softens the creamed butter and can make the cake dense.
- The butter, eggs, and sour cream should be at room temperature so the batter stays smooth and emulsified.
- The mascarpone and heavy cream must be cold until you whip them. If the mascarpone is at room temperature it will easily curdle creating a grainy looking frosting.
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One-Layer Sweet Potato Cake with Whipped Mascarpone
Equipment
- 9x2-inch Round Cake Pan
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Cake
- 2 medium (420 grams) Garnet sweet potatoes
- 1-1/2 cups (188 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) full-fat sour cream
Whipped Mascarpone
- 8 ounces (227 grams) mascarpone cold
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) raw honey
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream cold
Instructions
Bake the Sweet Potatoes
- For this recipe you will need 2 sweet potatoes that weigh about 420 grams in total. It's okay to have more than 420 grams. Once baked, there will be enough sweet potato puree for this cake. It will take 40-60 minutes for medium-sized sweet potatoes to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Wash the exterior of the sweet potatoes. Pierce them a few times with the tip of a sharp knife. Place it in a foil lined pan and bake until you can easily stick a paring knife through the potato.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Split potato in half and scoop out at least 240 grams of the sweet potato. I call for extra because sometimes it's hard to get everything out of the food processor.Process it in a mini food processor for 10-15 seconds until it is smooth. Measure out 230 grams (about 1 cup) of sweet puree for the cake. Allow it to completely cool to room temperature before adding it to the cake batter.
Make the Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) . Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and line it parchment paper. Crack the eggs and place them in a small bowl. Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda , and salt in medium-sized bowl and whisk together for 30 seconds to thoroughly.
- Place the sugars, the butter, the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment beat on medium speed until the batter is lighter in color, smoother in texture and fluffier, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at time, and mix on medium speed until each egg is thoroughly combined into the batter. Next mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl.
- Add the mashed sweet potato and mix on medium speed until it is thoroughly combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated. Add all of the sour cream and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for about 15 seconds to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
Bake the Cake
- Scrape the cake into the prepared cake pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth and level the batter. Bake the cake 35-40 minutes. Use a cake tester or a toothpick to test the doneness. When the cake tester is inserted in the center of the cake and removed there should be no batter clinging to the tester. If you have an instant read thermometer you can check the temperature at center of the cake. It will be about 200°F (93°C).
- Remove the cake from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a lightly oiled wire rack, then flip it back onto a cake plate or platter.
- The unfrosted cake can sit at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Make the Whipped Mascarpone
- Place the cold mascarpone, honey, and salt in a large bowl. With a handheld mixer mix on medium speed until mixture is smooth and the honey is well combined with the mascarpone, about 30 seconds.
- Add the heavy cream, and mix on medium speed until visible beater marks are left in the whipped mascarpone and there are soft peaks. Be careful not to overmix.
- Frost the top of the cake and serve.
Storing the Cake
- The plain cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap for up to 5 days, but it will dry out the longer it is stored in the refrigerator.Once the mascarpone is added, store the cake in cake in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.
Margaret Vandenberg says
Another great recipe. I made this cake yesterday and it is very good. For some reason I couldn't find my nutmeg so I used cardamom in its place, which worked out well. I decided to not frost it and lightly glazed it with an orange glaze instead. Thank you for sharing another great recipe. I'll definitely make this again. Next time I might frost it using your recommended recipe. It looks great.