Southern Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
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This delicious Southern Sweet Potato Cake Recipe is perfect to serve for any occasion, or any time you’re in the mood for baking. The cake is made layers of slightly spiced sweet potato cake and a honey cinnamon buttercream for a lovely combination that has been a palate pleaser over the years, and has become one of our most popular cake recipes.
For years we’ve enjoyed dining at Brick Street Cafe. Not only do they have a lovely, eclectic atmosphere but the menu, particularly the dessert menu is fabulous. The dessert selection alone is worth a visit. It’s like a tour of the South in dessert form!
A good plan when dining at Brick Street Cafe is to have a light salad for supper to save up room for cake because the cake serving size is crazy huge. One of the cakes they are famous for is their Sweet Potato Cake. It’s a lightly spiced cake, similar to carrot cake, but made with sweet potatoes and oh so moist.
For many years I had been wanting to recreate the Southern Sweet Potato Cake, so a few years back I set out to conquer it. A few renditions later and I settled on a cake that we are delighted with. It’s a moist cake with just the right amount of spice to compliment the sweet potato.
And yes, there is real sweet potato in this cake, about 4-5 of them to be exact. Just to push this Sweet Potato Cake over the top, I then paired it with a fluffy Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting. Sweet potatoes, cinnamon, and honey always make a good team, don’t they?
It’s a cake worthy of a special occasion or even just an ordinary day you’d like to make special. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we have! Happy baking, y’all!
A few Sweet Potato Cake recipe notes:
- I’ve made this cake with and without freezing the cake layers. It is delicious either way but I do think freezing the cake layers (separately) creates a lovely dense and more moist cake. To freeze cake layers, wrap cooled layers (separately) in 2 layers of plastic wrap, then insert each wrapped layer in a zip-top plastic bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Don’t forget to label and date your cake!
- For the mashed sweet potatoes, I used my Quick Baked Potatoes method. It takes only 30 minutes! The potato halves can be easily peeled, then mashed. If you’re planning on baked potatoes for supper, bake some sweet potatoes while you’re at it to have on hand for cake making.
- Try my Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting Recipe with this cake for a delectable combo.
More delicious baking recipes:
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
Homemade Gingerbread Loaf
Easy Blueberry Pie
Southern Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
Southern Sweet Potato Cake Recipe
A delicious cake for any day or holiday, made with sweet potatoes, cinnamon and ginger. Topped with Honey Cinnamon Buttercream for a perfect combination.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes, cooled (about 4-5 sweet potatoes)
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with baking parchment and butter the top of those too.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high for 4-5 minutes until creamy, stopping to scrape down bowl at least twice. Gradually add beaten eggs. Beat on medium-high for 1-2 minutes until fluffy, scraping down bowl as needed. Add vanilla and sweet potatoes and beat until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed (scraping down the bowl is important stuff, y’all).
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk. Beat on low speed until just incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake at 350-degrees F for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
This recipe makes a 2-layer 9-inch cake.Pair this cake with Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting for a delicious combination.
Originally published September 18, 2o15. Last updated July 18, 2021.
I am adding thickened crushed pineapple between layers. I will do 3 layers. Yummy
This sweet potato cake is delicious and moist. It was a huge hit at a family birthday party last fall. I just made it again and followed the recipe except that I made 3 9″ layers-which took between 25-30 minutes to bake. My husband wanted cream cheese frosting but I wanted to try your Cinnamon Honey Buttercream Frosting-so I made a 2 layer cream cheese frosted cake and scaled down the Cinnamon Honey Buttercream frosting for a one layer cake. Both pair so well with the sweet potato cake, I’m not sure I can choose. I boiled 4 sweet potatoes and had more than enough for the cake. This recipe is a keeper.
So happy to hear it, Kelly! It’s always a favorite with our family too.
I watched Brenda Gantt make this very same cake today. It was from September, 2022. I’m not sure she used the same frosting recipe but she did have cream cheese in it.
When does the buttermilk go in? I mean be missing something.
In step 4 of the recipe you alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk.
can you make this sweet potato cake in 13 x 9 pan instead of layers?
I’m sure it would work, but since I have not tried it in a 9×13 pan, I cannot tell you how to adjust the cook time. Please let me know if you try and what works for you.