Sweet Potato Cake with Praline Cream Cheese Frosting

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 339kcal

Soft and moist sweet potato sheet cake infused with cozy spices and finished with fluffy pecan praline cream cheese icing

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
2 cups sweet potato puree
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey

For the Frosting

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups powdered sugar
6 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
chopped pecans optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour baking pan and set aside.
Make the Cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In another bowl, use a hand mixer, silicone spatula, or kitchen spoon to mix the sweet potato puree, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and whiskey until uniform.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, 2 cups sweet potato puree, 4 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined with no dry pockets then transfer into prepared baking pan. Place the pan in the oven to bake for 32 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cook the Praline Sauce: While the cake bakes, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt until uniform. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then invert it onto a wire cooling rack OR leave it in the pan if you plan to transport and serve it out of the pan.
Make the Frosting: While the cake cools, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat together the cooled praline sauce, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
*To mix the frosting by hand, use a kitchen spoon or silicone spatula to vigorously combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl for about seven minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
2 cups powdered sugar, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Finish and Serve: Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve.
chopped pecans

Notes

Modifications

Use plant-based butter, egg, and cream cheese alternatives and dairy-free cream to make this cake vegan.

You can make this cake into 12 standard cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes, six jumbo muffins, a large loaf cake, or a thicker square in a nine-by-nine-inch pan.

To replace the sweet potato puree with mashed canned yams, I recommend cutting the sugar in the recipe to about two-thirds the listed amount to account for the sweetener added during processing.

Storage

Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it moist and prevent the frosting from spoiling. Keeps for up to five days. If you store the cake without frosting, it can be kept at room temperature for up to four days.

To freeze the unfrosted cake, cool it fully, then wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, before placing it in the freezer. To freeze the frosted cake, I recommend refrigerating it overnight first in order to let the frosting get firm. Next, wrap it the same as you would the unfrosted cake and place in the freezer. Either way, it will keep for up to three months.

Nutrition