Southern Sweet Potato Cake

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Category: Desserts & Baking

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 10

Description

This Southern sweet potato cake is moist, tender, and full of warm spices, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger complementing the natural sweetness of mashed sweet potatoes. Chopped pecans add an optional crunch, while the smooth cream cheese frosting creates a rich, creamy finish. Let the cake rest before serving for an even better texture.

Cake

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
3 eggs
½ cup buttermilk (or milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ginger
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 tabsp cream cheese
1 –2 tabsp room temp butter
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan or two smaller pans.
2
Roast or boil the sweet potatoes until soft, then mash until very smooth.
3
In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
4
Mix until creamy.
5
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
6
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
7
Stir gently until just combined.
8
Fold in the pecans if using.
9
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
10
Bake for 35–45 minutes.
11
Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
12
To make the cream cheese frosting, mix the cream cheese, room-temperature butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla essence until smooth.
13
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
14
Let the cake rest for 1 hour before serving.

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